The Soul of a Woman
by Jinzle
Summary: The untold story of Frau Linkmeyer told from her perspective to include the episodes in which she appears and is mentioned.
1. The Early Years

**The Soul of a Woman**

_This is my interpretation of the character of Frau Gertrude nee' Burkhalter Linkmeyer. The story is based on her appearances in "Cupid Comes to Stalag 13", "Cassonova Klink", Watch the Trains Go By", "Unfair Exchange", "Kommandant Gertrude" and her mention in "Gowns by Yvette". _

She looked into the mirror and noticed a few more lines in her face, a little more grey in her once blonde hair. She carefully applied the precious powder to her face. Looking down at the items on her dressing table, she sighed at the diminishing amount of cosmetics that lay there. A young woman could get by bare faced but once you reach a certain age, liquids and powders were a prerequisite. The war had cost her so much and now this final indignity. The factories and materials that went into making lipstick and other essentials had been co-opted for the war effort, so she had to make what she had last as long as possible for there would be none to replace them.

She could hear her brother bellowing in the other room for her to hurry. Let him wait. Since he didn't seem to care about her feelings, he could stand there and stew in his impatience. Dawdling was the only weapon she had against his pig-headedness. He had decided on his own she would remarry. Her protests; ignored. Gertrude knew her brother loved her dearly. In his mind he was doing what he felt was best for her. The one thing he failed to consider was she was not a little girl any longer and had a mind of her own. Sometimes she felt like giving him such a kick, he would still feel it two weeks later.

Albert had always been this way, ever since they were small children. This caused her to smile when she remembered those years growing up in _Münster._ Back then, it was Mama, Papa and Eduard, who was the oldest, then Emma, Käthe and Albert. The babies of the family were the twins Gertrude and Gregor. She could still smell the fragrance of the grass and flowers from one of their many family picnics. It seemed to Gertrude, they laughed all the time back then. Of course she knew that couldn't be true. It was just a trick of her memory. Still she could not remember a happier time.

Then the Great War came along and her father being a military man did his duty and left them to fight for Germany, taking Eduard and Albert with him. He perished at _Sommeschlacht_. His body hastily buried among the thousands who died there. His death was a terrible blow to the family. A once prosperous family saw its fortunes take a marked turn. Life after that seemed like a constant struggle to just to have enough to survive on. Her mother had refused to remarry, citing her love for her deceased husband. Trying to hold the family together and provide for them on the meager pension she received, aged her prematurely. It was something that had a great impact on Albert and part of the reason he had assumed this crazy task.

Gertrude had met Oberleutnant Otto Jorg Linkmeyer on a summer afternoon in 1916. He was fresh from the front and was so young and handsome. He was tall, slightly built with midnight black hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. All the girls had set their caps for him but he had paid her the greatest portion of his attention. Of course back then her hair was as blonde as the sun, not the washed out dull brown it was now. Her figure had been a lot trimmer back then too. At sixteen she had been beautiful, happy and in love for the first time. When Otto left for the _Preußische Kriegsakademie _training the next day, she cried. Since the training was for three years, a lifetime for a young girl, she thought she would never see him again.

The war ended and luckily, both Albert and Eduard had survived and returned home. Eduard promptly married his long standing sweetheart Anna Gottschalk . On June 29, 1919, Eduard fell sick and before nightfall had died from Influenza. The epidemic had touched almost every family in Germany, leaving behind nothing but bereavement and loss. A month later, Anna gave birth to Eduard's daughter, Fredia. She promptly became Albert's favorite niece and he has since watched over her, making sure both she and her mother had everything they needed, even after Anna remarried.

Gertrude had been out doing some shopping for Mama on a cool fall morning of that year. She had been daydreaming while window-shopping, when she bumped into a young man in a Hauptmann's uniform. Looking up she saw Otto's handsome face smiling down at her. She murmured her apologies and he gallantly requested to walk her home. She blushed prettily and agreed. On February 18, 1920, to her utter amazement, she became Frau Gertrude Linkmeyer. Fourteen months later, Gertrude gave birth to their first child, Lotte Luise. Otto could not have been more proud and for weeks afterwards, strutted around town like a peacock.

One of her fondest memories of Otto was lying in bed with him on a cold winter's night. Thick quilts covering their bodies, as he spooned her. His arm draped across her and his warm breath on the back of her neck. She felt so warm and safe. At least until he rolled over onto his back. His snoring was so loud it would keep her awake the entire night. They had numerous fights about it. Gertrude's lip quivered remembering them. What she would give be able to hear him snoring next to her again.

Quickly her mind traveled to her remembering their mock fights causing her to smile. He was losing his hair and her waistline was expanding. They would tease each other endlessly. By the end of the night, they would then fall into each other's arms, laughing at the silliness of it all.

Their life together was not all roses and love songs. They had their difficulties as all married couples did. Otto continued to advance in the ranks, passing Albert. He received orders posting him to the Great General Staff and soon afterwards, joined the Railway Directive. Gertrude enjoyed living in Berlin. She was a good and dutiful wife, doing everything in her power to help advance her husband's career. Truthfully, she would not care if he were a street peddler but because he took so much pride in being a solider, she did everything in her power to ensure his superiors never saw him but in anything but the most positive light. She worked hard at making the right social connections and working those connections to give him every conceivable advantage.

In 1921, Albert met and married a girl from Berlin named Bertha Roehm and seven months later, she gave birth to a healthy son named Eduard Albert Burkhalter. Albert claimed the child was early, but how many premature babies weight eight and a half pounds? Gertrude was always polite to Betha but never really connected with her. For one thing, Berta's instance in calling Albert "Hansi" drove Gertrude crazy. Her brother appeared to be happy, so Gertrude kept her own counsel when it came to Frau Burkhalter.

A year and a half after Lotte's birth, Petra Margret was born. Shortly after Petra's birth, Emma met and married Joseph Cronin, an executive from an oil company in Houston Texas. When his business in Germany was completed, she moved with him to the States. The sisters wrote to each other regularly, until war broke out between the two counties and then all communication ceased.

Unlike his brothers, Gregor shied away from military life. Instead, he became a writer, spending much of his time in Paris with other artists. Gertrude disapproved of what she considered a hedonistic lifestyle and urged him to settle down and marry. Gregor would just smile at his twin and say marriage was not in the cards for him. Gertrude did not remember exactly when she started to suspect that Gregor might enjoy the company of a man over that of a woman but as the years progressed, the impression grew stronger. She disapproved but she loved him fiercely. Because of her strong connection she had with Gregor, she kept her suspicions to herself and openly supported her brother's career.

In 1929, on a cold blistery January morning, Käthe died trying to bring her son into the world. Later that same year Gertrude gave birth to Erik Josef. His small weak lungs struggled to breathe. After several hours, he gave up the fight and died in his mother's arms. Gertrude, beside herself with grief, refused to leave her bed. Otto tried to comfort his wife without much success. It was only the tiny voices of her bewildered and frightened daughters, which finally roused her from her grief and helped her to re-enter the world of the living.

Two years later Petra Margret, after a bout of strep throat, came down with Rheumatic fever. The illness compromised her tiny heart. Two weeks later, she was buried next to her brother in the _Thomaskirche_ cemetery. Gertrude somehow found the strength to go on.

**TBC**

Next: _Nacht und Nebel_

_a/n:_

_The Preußische Kriegsakademie (Prussian War Academy) is a military training course required of all officers seeking to be a staff officer. It was a very elite military school. Only the best officers could apply and they were required to have a recommendation from their commanding officer. Of those who applied, only about twenty percent were accepted. Popular thinking at the time, even outside of Germany, was it was the best military school in the world._

_A Staff officer is a commissioned officer who serves on the staff of a commander, service, or central headquarters. General Burkhalter is a staff officer._

.


	2. Nacht und Nebel

**Nacht und Nebel**

Gertrude stepped outside into the bright September sunlight. Though it was barely fall, the day had a chill to it. She buttoned her coat and put on her gloves while waiting for the staff car. Her daughter Lotte stood next to her, appearing to be as nervous as Gertrude felt. Lotte was blonde, as her mother had once been, and tall like Otto. Standing nearly six feet tall, she towered over her mother.

"It's all right Mama," Lotte said gently. "This one will be better than the last two. Uncle Albert promised."

"Ja Ja," Gertrude replied distractedly.

General Burkhalter exited the house just as the car pulled up in front of them. He got in the last seat after helping in his niece, leaving Gertrude to get in the middle seat by herself. She absently watched the scenery go by, lost in her own thoughts as her brother and daughter chatted idly behind her. Passing a mother grasping her small child's hand as they walked along the side of the road, brought back memories Gertrude had long tried to suppress.

**HHHHHHHHH**

It was March of '32, when Otto received his promotion to Oberst and posted under the command of Generalleutnant Fredrich von Boetticher. A year later, von Boetticher, appointed by Hitler to be the Military Attaché to the United States, began packing up his office for the move to America. Gertrude was excited about the news. She had studied English in school but never had the opportunity to use it. Moreover, she had never been out of country before. After the sadness and grief she had experienced in the last couple of years, a change of scenery is exactly what she needed. There was another reason to her wanting to leave. Due to the new law passed in Germany, Lotte was required to join _the Bund Deutscher Mädel. _ Privately, neither Otto nor Gertrude approved of the organization. However, to verbalize such sentiments anywhere except behind a locked bedroom door was dangerous. Therefore, a much-relieved Otto, Gertrude and little Lotte, packed up their home and boarded a ship for America.

Gertrude found America to be exciting. During the day, she often accompanied her husband on various military installation tours. She loved talking to the troops but was amazed at the diversity among them. She was surprised, though in retrospect she should not have been, even though there was so many differences between Americans and Germans, how much seem the same. In the evenings were various dinner parties given by the Embassies, the White House and Washington's social elite. Gertrude was even able to travel to Texas and have a brief visit with Emma. When the school year began, Lotte enrolled in an American school and after overcoming the language barrier, excelled.

Gertrude loved traveling through the country but her favorite city was Boston. They arrived there for a week's stay with one of Boston's social elite families, Mr. and Mrs. Howell Thurston. Gertrude loved walking in a nearby park during the day. The snow, which blanketed ground, glistened and the trees decorated with icicles simmered and sparked in the sun, reminded her of home.

One day Otto asked to join her. At first, she was concerned that Otto had bad news, which he wanted to give to her privately. Otto assured her that he just wanted to spend some time alone with his wife. Walking in the park, hand in hand, neither speaking was wonderful. She felt at peace and relaxed. The burden of the previous years seemed lifted from her shoulders and she felt young again. The same thing must have been going through Otto's mind because in the middle of the park he stopped, wordlessly gathered her into his arms and kissed her. Not the kiss one might give to a sweetheart but a kiss he had never given her outside of their bedroom. She was shocked and trilled. Not caring who was watching, she returned his kiss with equal fervor.

On January 5, 1936, Otto received news of his promotion to General and transfer to the 103rd Panzer Brigade headquarted at Potsdam. Rumors of war had the Linkmeyers nervous. Gertrude had lived through one war and did not want a repeat experience. Otto assured her that everything would be all right. Once again, they packed up their household and moved.

Once settled back in Germany, General Linkmeyer began the task of training his troops and getting them ready for possible deployment. Rumors of war and secret treaties filled Berlin. People were nervous and the majority did not want another conflict. Unfortunately, the ones who are the loudest are heard. In this case, the voice belonged to the Nazi party. Otto tried to calm her fears but with each passing day, they grew stronger.

It was during this period that Albert made Oberst and posted to the 59th Infantry Division. Not escaping Gertrude's notice was the fact Albert and Bertha were drifting apart. Part of the problem was Albert's roving eye. She counseled him on one occasion that it would not be good for his career if there were a scandal. He politely thanked her for her advice and then told her to mind her own business.

In 1938, as war loomed ever closer, Eduard enlisted into the Heer as an Infantryman, like his father, and received a commission as a Leutnant. Gertrude was receiving reports from friends traveling abroad that Gregor was writing pamphlets criticizing Hitler's foreign and domestic policies. Of particular concern to him was the annexation of Czechoslovakia and Austria. In addition, his private life was becoming public knowledge. Her brother's activities brought unwanted notice and pressure for Albert and Otto from the High Command. Fearing for the welfare of all her loved ones, she wrote Gregor and begged him to cease his publications. The problem was Gregor was an idealist and could not make the connection between his behavior and the effect it was having on his family who lived so far away. So he dismissed his twin's concern and continued his publications.

On September 1, 1939, German tanks and troops rolled into Poland. England and France, per their treaty with Poland, immediately declared war. World War II had begun. Albert left with the 19th Infantry Division to Poland while Otto got his troops ready for the Western assault.

Otto and the men under his command invaded Denmark on April 10, 1040 and then on to Norway. Once the two countries were secure, Hitler gave the order for the invasion of France. On May 10, 1940, the invasion began. Belgium and the Low Countries fell to the invading Wehrmacht almost overnight. The armies then moved swiftly into France. The French and British found they were quickly outflanked. Halt orders issued in order to give the Wehrmacht time to strengthen their lines as to ensure the Allies would not be able to break through. This gave the Allies enough time to evacuate three hundred thousand troops. This, in her opinion, was the first great mistake of the war.

General Lynkmeyer returned home to a very relieved wife and a promotion to Generalleuatant. His posting to Berlin as a member of the General staff was happy news. However, that was not to last long. Otto became privy to certain activities by the High Command, which deeply disturbed him. Gertrude tried to get him to talk about it but he would just tell her ignorance was bliss. Whatever it was, it caused Otto many sleepless nights. She watched with concern as he began to lose weight. Sometimes during the night, she could hear him sobbing in his sleep, begging someone for forgiveness. She would wake him but could not get him to talk to her about it. The only information she could get him to part with is that the Gestapo was looking for Gregor, who had gone into hiding after Paris fell. If God had any mercy, he told her, they would shoot him dead as soon as they found him. Anything else was cruel and unthinkable. She was shocked and appalled by her husband's words but he would say no more.

The bad news was to continue. During Operation Marita, as Athens fell, a sniper shot Leutnant Burkhalter. At the age of nineteen, Eduard fell face down in the street and died. This caused a deeper fracture in an already troubled Burkhalter marriage. Frau Burkhalter's response to the death of her son and her husband's wandering was to find comfort in food. Disgusted, Albert would find reasons not to go home.

June 1941, saw Otto transferred once again. On the 22nd, he was with the 107th Panzer Division partaking in Operation Barbarossa. By October, Otto was reported missing somewhere near Kharkov . No amount of pleading or bribery could get Gertrude any answers. Everyone said she was a widow, but it was something she could not accept. She was determined to find out what happened to her beloved Otto, no matter the price.

Early in 1942, Albert was sent to Germany to recuperate from wounds he received at the front. During this time he was given command over all the Stalags in Germany. In November of that year, his promotion to General came through and he became attached to the High Command.

**HHHHHH**

A sharp turn in the road brought Gertrude back to the present. Up ahead, she saw the camp where her future intended lived and worked. A shabby place, grey and uninviting, surrounded by guns, watchtowers and barbed wire. She watched as the gates swung open. Passing through them, she felt as if some great beast was devouring her. Home sweet home, she thought sadly.

**TBC**

Next: Stalag XII

a_/n:_

_Nacht und Nebel: Night and Fog, refers to a directive given by Hitler on December 7, 1941. It was to be used against persons in German occupied territories thought to endanger German Security (activists, the resistance, partisans) but it was expanded two months later by Feldmarschall Wilhelm Kieitel to include all persons in occupied territories who had been in custody eight days who had not died or been executed. Once arrested, the person would disappear. If any inquiries, they were informed of the arrest but that is all. It would be as if their loved had disappeared into the fog and night, their ultimate fate unknown. It was a tactic used to instill fear and intimidation into the population._

_Generalleuatant (2 star general) Fredrich von Boetticher was Hitler's military attaché to America from 1933 – 1941. It was his reports of America's strength that lead Hitler to decide to declare war on America. Boetticher reported accurately America's military strength but Hitler thought it was going to be a short war and would be over before the US could fully commit. The thinking in the High Command was that it would take the US at least a year to mobilize and was shocked at the speed in which the peacetime army was whipped into shape and deployed. There is a great book about Boetticher which gives a lot of insight to what was going on in Germany during that time called, Hitler's Ambivalent Attaché. _

_Bund Deutscher Mädel: The girl's part of the Hitler Youth. Began in 1923, it did not become mandatory until 1933. All girls ten and older joined whether they or their parents wanted them to or not. Failure to join would cause placement in an orphanage and their parents would face long jail terms._

_Operation Marita (The Invasion of Greece) occurred on April 6, 1941 with Athens falling on the 27__th__ of that month. The Germans were victorious and occupied Greece until 1944._

_Operation Barbarossa (The Invasion of Russia 1941 to 1943) _


	3. Stalag XIII

**Stalag XIII**

Gertrude sat quietly listening to her brother on the phone giving instructions to his aide. She was half listening to him as her mind drifted to her first meeting of her soon to be, if Albert had his way, husband. She had watched while Klink blatantly drooled over her daughter to the point Gertrude had wanted to offer him a bib. Did he really think Albert would have to arrange a marriage for his niece? Lotte had more admirers than there were tealeaves in China. She thought about her first impression of Wilhelm Klink. Watching him in the compound gave her the impression he was nothing more than a pompous strutting peacock who had an over inflated sense of self-worth. His blatant dismissal of her during introductions still stung. Even though she did not care for the man, the disgusted look on his face during his introduction to her cut deep. She had smiled and replied politely; biting back the sharp rebuke she had wanted to give him but her face still burned with the shame. She had done nothing to deserve such ill treatment from him. Is this the kind of man her brother wanted her shacked to for the rest of her life?

To be fair, Gertrude knew this was Albert's way of protecting her. Not only was there financial issues that concerned her brother but also with Gregor being hunted by the Gestapo, she was in a very vulnerable position. Albert had distanced himself from their brother but she had continued to correspond with him between the time he started publishing until the announcement of his arrest warrant. Albert sought to protect her by marrying her to someone the General Staff did not perceive as a threat, someone easy to control and manipulate. After a happy marriage to a strong man, the idea of a marrying a wet noodle was less than appealing. She knew she could not talk Albert out of his obsession with seeing her married, so her only hope would be to sabotage things again. She had done it successfully with Obersts Burmeister and Bussie, perhaps she could do it one more time.

Her wandering mind returned to the present when she heard her brother tell his aide to have the field artillery move 20 kilometers northwest of their current position.

"….Ja and with dispatch," Burkhalter said as he hung up the phone. Gertrude waited for him to start trying to sell her on the idea of Klink as husband material. She did not have to wait long.

"Well," Albert said as he sat down next to her. "What do you think of our Oberst Klink?"

_Our Klink? You mean your Klink,_ Gertrude thought sourly.

"He looks like a dead fish," interjected Lotte.

"I was not asking you Lotte," Albert said in an annoyed tone, "I was asking your mother. Well Gertrude?"

"Well I don't know. It seems to I should be able to do better than an Oberst. If I would consider marriage at all, why not a Generalleuatant?'

"I will tell you why Gertrude. In the first place you're no spring chicken."

"Albert," Gertrude replied annoyed with her brother's bluntness.

"In the second place you're no great beauty."

"ALBERT!" Gertrude yelled, becoming truly annoyed with her brother. Did he think she did not have a mirror or she was unaware the how the years had taken a toll on her beauty? He did not have to rub her face in it. She cursed softly to herself and wondered if other sisters ever thought of doing physical harm to their brothers. Of course, the General ignored her warnings and continued to add salt to the wound.

"There are very few unmarried men around and quite a few widows."

"I am not a widow!" she said looking at brother, daring him to dispute her claim. "My husband was reported missing in action," Gertrude said. _My beloved Otto_, _gone forever_, her soul cried out as she struggled to hold herself together and not give in to her grief.

"On the Russian Front, missing in action makes you a widow beyond a shadow of a doubt," Albert replied harshly.

It was obvious that Albert was not going to sway easily. He had made up his mind and Gertrude knew she had her work cut out to untangle herself from this mess. What she needed was time to come up with a workable plan.

"I haven't made up my mind about Oberst Klink," Gertrude argued hoping to buy some time. "I have to know him better."

"I still say he looks like a dead fish," Lotte declared as she exited the bedroom and joined them in the sitting area.

_You tell him Lotte._

"You'd better be nice to him. That dead fish maybe your father."

Gertrude reluctantly agreed with her brother's assessment. If she did not act quickly, she would be saddled with a man who did not want her any more than she wanted him. Gertrude thought about the shabby buildings and the shabby men who occupied them. The idea that this would be her new home chilled her to the bone. Could Albert not see how soul killing this place was? Both prisoners and guards had the same sad shell-shocked look about them. No, she would have to redouble her efforts. There had to be a way out of this. She thought about planting some incriminating evidence on Klink but then dismissed the idea. While Klink was a fool, he was a harmless one. No, she needed a plan where everyone involved could save face. Perhaps if she approached him privately, felt him out, she might come up with a way out of this mess. _Yes, that is what I will do,_ she decided.

She was surprised when she entered Klink's office to see an American prisoner standing in his office, a colonel if her memory served her correctly. She was immediately on guard and unsure how to proceed. She decided the best option was just to talk and see what information she would be able to gleam from the interaction.

"Frau Linkmeyer, where is the rest of you? I mean your daughter," Klink said laughing nervously at his obvious faux pas.

"The General is showing her around the camp. I wanted to talk to you by myself," Gertrude said, electing to take the direct approach.

"Oh yes of course, by all means," replied Klink.

"Well I'll be going then," the American replied and turned for the door.

"No, no, no Hogan wait," Klink said.

Gertrude watched as he hunted around on his desk for a task for the American to do. _He does not want to be left alone with me, interesting._

Klink picked up some papers at random and shoved them into Hogan's hands. "You haven't finished your filing."

"Filing?"

"You asked about filing," Klink said with a touch of desperation in his voice.

"Oh, oh filing," Hogan said as he accepted the papers and moved over to the filing cabinet.

_Those two are a pair of Katzenjammer Kids if I ever saw one_, Gertrude thought as she watched the exchange between the flustered Kommandant and the bemused American.

"Oh Frau Linkmeyer, sit down please, sit down," Klink said as he placed a chair near her. Gertrude noticed he had place the chair facing away from him and towards Colonel Hogan. She wondered how to interpret this act. Gertrude decided to proceed with some random questions while she turned it over in her mind. She accepted the offered seat, which had Klink standing behind her and her facing Hogan's back. _An arrangement designed to better to communicate with each other without my supposed knowledge, no doubt._

"I believe the General talked to you about a little matter," she began.

"Yes he did. He certainly did. With his very own mouth," answered a nervous Klink.

She watched with silent amusement the pained look that crossed Hogan's face.

"Naturally there are certain questions I need to ask you. You understand?"

"Oh yes. If I were in your place, I would do exactly the same thing. Please feel free to ask me anything," Klink replied in a tone that told her he was less than thrilled with the prospect of being questioned by her.

"Do you drink or gamble?"

"Never, isn't that right Colonel Hogan."

"Oh that's right, right. Never."

"Good," replied Gertrude. "Now who do you think should handle the money in the family, the husband or the wife?" Gertrude hoped his answer would be something she could find a reason for offense and end this charade.

"Who? Who?"

_The man sounds like an owl._

"Uh, the Kommandant as a solider feels the wife should handle the money, he'll handle the war. I've heard him say that a hundred times."

"That's right," Klink said coming around to stand before Gertrude. "That is what I said."

_Why is he deferring to Hogan and why would they be discussing such intimate matters? This is an interesting turn and bears further exploration. _

"Very well expressed," Gertrude said wanting to end this farce.

"I thought so myself," Klink whispered to Hogan.

When Schultz blundered into the office, it gave Gertrude a perfect excuse to end the interview. She needed time to think about this new information and how best to use it to her advantage. It amused her somewhat to see the look on the old fool's face when she told him Lotte did not like him. Better he be embarrassed here and end his hopeless fascination, than Lotte do it loudly and publicly. Lotte may have inherited her father's good looks but she inherited her mother's sharp tongue. Gertrude knew of more than one man Lotte had verbally sliced and diced. At least she had spared this man the same fate. Whether he deserved it or not was still up to debate.

Making her excuses, Gertrude left the Kommandant's office and headed back to the VIP quarters. Albert was there waiting in ambush. She gave an audible sigh upon seeing him sitting where she had left him. She had too much on her mind to want to trade barbs with her brother. Gertrude just wanted some peace to sort out the new information she had. Colonel Hogan held some kind of sway over Klink. Gertrude immediately began to wonder if Albert knew.

"Well what did you think, Gertrude?" Albert asked.

She mulled the question over in her mind as she sat down next to her brother. "I don't know, Albert. I need more time."

"At your age, time is something you don't have."

"Albert I am warning you!"

"And I am warning you Gertrude, time is running out. I want this matter settled as soon as possible. Klink likes you and would be a very manageable husband."

"I don't want a manageable husband. I want Otto."

"That is not possible so put it out of your mind," Albert ordered. His voice soften, "Take the time to know him Gertrude. It's a good match, I promise." The General leaned over and patted her hand affectionately and then got up and left their quarters without further comment.

Gertrude sat there and tried to fight back the tears. She did not want this. She wanted her family whole and complete again but knew that dream was forever lost to her. No matter what she claimed to Albert, she knew her husband was dead. Buried in an unmarked grave somewhere far from home. For him she would be strong. She would face this storm and make somehow make sure his death was not meaningless. Gathering her things, she prepared to let the Kommandant show her around the camp.

Several days later, her heart sank as she read the note from Klink. Surely, there has to be a mistake, she thought. I have done everything in my power to persuade him they were ill suited for each other short of coming out and saying so. Now he is sending her love letters and inviting her to dinner. He head was swimming trying to think of a way out of this mess.

With a sense of dread, Gertrude dressed and walked over to Klink's quarters, her mind racing trying to think of a way out of this situation. Upon entering the quarters, she was surprised to see Colonel Hogan. _Somehow, I just know he is the answer to my prayers. I just need to wait for my opening._

"Frau Linkmeyer," Klink said with a stricken look on his face.

It was obvious to Gertrude the man had been expecting someone else. _Lotte no doubt. Maybe I can use this to my advantage._

"Come, come Wilhelm, you must call me Gertrude."

"I must?"

"Of course, a husband and wife can't be so formal," Gertrude said, twisting the verbal knife deeper. "Even though you have not asked me the question that is trembling on your lips."

"Husband? Wife?"

_Oh my, I think the dear Kommandant is about to pass out. I wonder where he keeps the smelling salt?_

"I must say I was very angry at first when the General told me about his matchmaking. But once I got to know you Wilhelm," she said as she looked up into his horrified face. She could not help but to smile with satisfaction at his panic regarding the news they were to be married. Klink raced into the dining area seeking the support of the other men present.

"Hogan," came his croaked half-plea.

Hogan promptly fled to stand by the Sergeant of the Guard. "I'm helping Schultz chill the champagne."

"Me too," said the little French chef.

_Men are such cowards,_ Gertrude thought, amused at the scene she was witnessing. _I just need to push him a little more and then there will be no way my brother will be able to bully him into a marriage_.

"What a lovely place you have here, Wilhelm," Gertrude said as she took his arm. "I think I will make only a few changes." _Nothing men like more than a woman coming in and changing things. It took me three years to convince Otto to let me buy a new settee when the old one broke a spring and it poked our guests in the tushie whenever they sat on it. _"The drapes will go first and then we can get some new furniture. Just think Wilhelm, our own little love nest_._"

"I know you to want to be alone. Come on fellows," Hogan said as he attempted to leave.

"Hogan!" then in a lower voice Klink addressed the guard. "Schultz, set another place."

Gertrude turned and walked back into the living room so they could not see the broad smile on her face. The plan was working. Just a few more barbs here and there and she would be a free woman again.

A few minutes later, they were all sitting down to dinner. She made sure neither Hogan nor Klink was able to get in more than a few words at a time. She did feel a little sympathy for Klink. He looked so miserable. She felt like she was kicking a puppy. Gertrude kept telling herself it was for his own good that she was being so cruel. She talked so much she was running out of things to say when they finally got to dessert.

"You would have liked my husband Otto very much. Mind you that he didn't have some very bad habits." _Forgive me my love. _"But, I shouldn't say anything against him. He was lost at the Russian Front, you know. Maybe you knew him?"

"Is he the one they called Lucky Otto?" Hogan asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Oh how she would like to give this American such a kick but to do so might betray her intent. She decided to pretend she had not noticed the insult.

"I don't remember anyone ever calling him that."

"Maybe it was some other Lucky Otto," replied Hogan.

There was a lull in the conversation and she decided to make her final push.

"Wilhelm!" she shouted to frighten and intimidate the man across the table. "What do you think of a spring wedding?"

"Not much," replied Klink in a sullen tone.

Gertrude hid her smile. _Finally, some honesty._

"If you don't mind me saying so, I think you should get married right away, like tomorrow," Hogan said.

"Hogan I'm going to have you shot and no courts marshal in the world would convict me," Klink mumbled from behind his napkin.

Gertrude wondered what the American had up his sleeve but decided to play along and see where it took them.

"Tomorrow? Why so soon?"

"Well I figured it would give you both a chance to get to know each other, enjoy of few golden moments before…."

"Before what?" Gertrude asked.

"Colonel, do you think it is fair to keep it a secret?" Hogan said. "Why don't you tell her."

"Tell her what?" replied Klink.

"You naughty boy, are you keeping secrets from me already?"

Gertrude could see the confusion on Klink's face and knew whatever was going on was not prearranged between the two men. It was all Hogan. Here was a master manipulator. He went up a notch in her esteem. Gertrude sat waiting, eagerly anticipating his next words.

Unable to speak, Klink just shook his head no.

"Now what is it?"

"I'm going to tell her if you don't." Hogan interjected. "The Colonel has volunteered for service at the Russian Front. Leaves next week. "

"WHAT?" Klink screamed.

_Finally, something I can use._ "Why does everybody I know volunteer for the Russian Front? What is the big attraction there?" she said in mock outrage.

"I don't know, I'm sure there's something," Hogan replied.

_That is two Hogan. _Reorienting herself back to her main objective, which was to ensure this matchmaking of her brother failed, Gertrude launched into full outraged mode.

"Well, I will tell you one thing Oberst Klink, I am not going to be a widow again. The engagement is off and that is final!" she said as she got up to leave the table. "I will not do it. It is ridiculous. My brother is crazy."

Once on the other side of the door, Gertrude took time to take a breath. She thought of Otto and made no effort to hold back the tears. She would tell her brother how hurt and disappointed she was. He would then free her from any ties to Klink. She took a moment to wonder what her brother would have to say about Klink's sudden "transfer". It would serve Klink and Hogan right if her brother demanded Klink take the transfer. Feeling better than she had in weeks, Gertrude stepped off the porch and walked toward freedom.

_**Next: Cassanova Klink**_

_A/n:_

_Colonel Burmeister and Bussie are from "The Schultz Brigade". In this episode, they discuss with Klink how they all narrowly escaped being married to Frau Linkmeyer._

_The Katzenjammer Kids is a comic written by the German immigrant Rudolph Dirks in 1897 and is still in production today. The story is of two mischievous brothers, Hans and Fritz whose mischievous behavior often places them at odds with authority and "Mama". Even though it is an American publication, Gertrude could have easily encountered it during her stay in America._

_Lotte pronounced as LAW-tah, although Hogan/Bob Crane mispronounces it as Lottie during the show. It is particularly humorous in the scene with Hogan getting Klink to dictate the letter meant for Lotte. Here you have Hogan mispronouncing the name and Klink pronouncing it the correct way. It is almost as if they are talking about two different people. But then again,he does the same thing with Gertrude's name. I always wondered if the writer of the original story had named her in honor of Werner Klemperer's sister._


	4. Casanova Klink

**Casanova Klink **

Gertrude had finished moving her mother's things into the guest bedroom, when she looked up and noted the late time. She knew Mama was tired from her long trip from Münster. With all the bombings and sabotage activities, the train trip had been long and arduous. What should have been a day trip had taken a week. Still, Gertrude was glad to have her mother here with her. The proximity of the synthetic oil factory at Gelsenkirchen and the strong military presence in the city made it a prime target for the Allies. It was only a matter of time before it was bombed, no matter what Herr Hitler said. Then there was her age to consider. Irmgard Burkhalter was approaching her eightieth birthday. Due to a stroke she recently suffered, she was often unsteady on her feet she had fallen several times. The neighbors had called with concerns and Gertrude had spent months persuading her mother that it was to make the move to her home in Michelau.

She pulled back the covers on the bed so her mother could take a nap before dinner, while going over in her mind what to serve from their meager pantry. Rationing in Germany, once a minor inconvenience, had taken on a life of its own. Sometimes she could barter with local farmers for items she needed but it was dangerous and if caught, she would suffer severe consequences.

Gently she helped the elder Burkhalter into bed and then pulled the covers over her mother's chest. She looked so tiny and fragile to Gertrude and she wondered where the years had gone. It seemed only yesterday her mother was young and active. Seeing her like this only reminded Gertrude of the short time she had left with her. Her mother was already asleep as Gertrude leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. She finished tucking her in, turned off the lights and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Realizing Lotte should be home shortly from her teaching job in Prüßerg, she hurried to prepare dinner. Gertrude did not like her daughter riding her bicycle to work and back, too many things could happen to a young girl, but gas rationing had made it impossible for her to use the car on a daily basis. It was only when the weather was extremely bad such luxury could be indulged in.

Gertrude sliced the cold Leberkäse and placed it on a serving platter along with some Schwarzbrot and Tilsit cheese. After slicing the last two apples she had, she began to set the table. The sound at the door made her look up from her task. Expecting to see Lotte, she was surprised to see her brother as it was not like him not to bother to call first. Gertrude was immediately on guard.

"Has something happened Albert?" Gertrude asked as she walked over to where her brother was hangng his coat and cap on the walnut hall tree by the door.

"No, can't I visit without something being wrong?" Albert grumbled at her sister.

"Of course you can," she replied still on guard. "I'm setting the table for dinner. Would you care to join us?"

The General glanced over to the table and frowned. "I assume that the rest of the meal is still in the kitchen."

"No, that is it. There is a war on you know. Take either what is offered to you or leave it. It matters not to me."

"There's no reason to get your tail feathers ruffled Gertrude, I'll send some supplies by later this week."

"Don't do us any favors, Albert," Gertrude griped as she began to set a place for her brother. "What brings you here tonight?"

"I came to see Mama."

Gertrude paused, arched her brow at Albert and waited.

"And Lotte."

Gertrude silently regarded her brother. Withering under her scrutiny, Albert caved.

"All right Gertrude, I need you to fill in as secretary for me. It it's a wage of thirty-two Marks and forty Pfennigs a month. I know you could use the money."

Gertrude shrugged and continued to set the table. "What good is money when there is nothing to spend it on?"

"I'm asking for your help, I know how well you managed Otto's papers and was hoping to use your organizational skills to manage one of my subordinate officer's offices. Just until the regular secretary gets back from her leave of absence, I promise."

Gertrude walked over to the window, brushed the lace curtain aside and looked out. It had been dark for some time now and Lotte still had not returned. She was starting to get worried. Turning back to her brother, she thought about his request. Obviously, he was holding back in whose office he wanted her to work. This could only mean Klink. The last thing she wanted was to go back there.

"Who would take care of Mama? I can't drive there and back every day."

"You can stay in the VIP quarters and I will have Berta stay here until you get back."

She gave her brother a dismissive snort. "Mama will scratch her eyes out before the week's end. You know they do not get along."

"They'll both behave themselves, I'll see to it."

"All right Albert, I'll do it under one condition."

"Name it."

"Instead of pay, you get the gas and permits for Lotte to use the car to go back and forth to work. I worry about her being out there alone in the dark with so much Gestapo and troop activity in the area," replied Gertrude.

"Done, I will pick you up in the morning," the General said as he put on his coat and cap.

"One more thing Albert, could you see if you could find Lotte? She is late and I'm getting very worried."

Albert gave his sister a gentle smile, "Of course. I will pick her up and drop her back off before going home. Don't worry Gertrude; she probably met a young man."

"That's what worries me Albert," she replied as she glanced once more out the window.

Burkhalter walked over to his sister and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Don't worry, she is fine."

Gertrude smiled at her brother's attempt at comforting her. "I know you're right but a mother has the right to worry doesn't she?"

"Of course Gerti," Albert said, calling her the pet name she had as a child. "And that is something no one could question you on, your dedication to your family, especially Lotte."

"Out with you, before I start thinking of you as a brother instead of the bully you like to pretend you are," she said smiling as she swatted at him.

He was chuckling as he left the small cottage and a few minutes later, true to his word, he dropped Lotte off before heading back home.

The next day Gertrude found herself driving through the front gates of Stalag XIII, a place that she had sworn she would never to return. At least this time it was to work and not being pushed at the Kommandant like her last visit. She definitely felt more relaxed this time around. Stepping into the outer office, she noted it was in complete disarray. She could not imagine how long Klink had been without a secretary for it to get in such a state. Not only were there papers scattered all over the place but at least one half eaten sandwich and several half drank cups of old coffee. She sighed as she looked around at the mess, knowing it would take her most of the day to clean it before she would even be able to start any secretarial duties.

"This is just what you need, Gertrude, something to keep you busy." Albert said still in sales pitch mode.

_Typical man_, Gertrude thought, _thinks women sit around the house all day with nothing to do. I would like him to trade places with me for just one day and see who works and who does not_.

"Who wants to be busy? I am happy sitting at home with Mama," Gertrude said while she continued to inspect the wreck Klink had the nerve to call an office. She had more enough to do at home to keep her busy, she didn't need this headache. Still this did present her with an opportunity she might not otherwise have had. Better to keep her brother thinking she was apathetic about being here or he might start asking questions she rather not have to answer.

"Wouldn't it be nicer to sit around the house with a husband?" Albert said.

_Not this again, I thought he had given this idea up after what happened the last time we were here_. "Maybe," Gertrude said being deliberately obtuse, "whose husband?"

Laughing Albert replied, "Don't be coy, Gertrude, I am talking about marriage."

Albert was attempting to charm her and she was not about to let him. She thought she had put this notion to bed and she was not about to let him start his match making again. "You are always talking about marriage. How do I know I am a widow? Otto was only reported missing in action."

"That was three years ago. You're a good looking girl. You'd make somebody a good wife."

How she wished she could talk to her brother without playing these silly games. They both knew the circumstances surround his death, yet neither could admit it to the other. So instead, they had to play these silly games with each other. Gertrude tried to remind herself that what Albert was doing was out of love but she wished he'd leave her be, she had more important matters which needed her attention and a husband would just complicate things.

"I wouldn't mind getting married again, if the right man came along."

"Even if the wrong man came along you'd better grab him," the General remarked dryly. "Beggars can't be choosers, you know."

Her attention suddenly shifted from a pile of papers she had been thumbing through back to her odious brother.

"Albert!" she began as she picked up a waste paper basket and considered dumping it on her brother's head. Before she had a chance to act on her impulse, the door to Klink's office and the man himself walked into the outer office.

"Ah General Burkhalter, Frau Linkmeyer, what a pleasant surprise," Klink gushed.

"What is so surprising about it Klink? I said you'd have a secretary first thing this morning."

_Oh no, poor Klink is unaware that my brother is matchmaking again. I have a feeling this will not end well._

"Yes sir you did. What time will she be here?

"She's here, right now."

Klink looked around the office and then at Gertrude. She noticed the sick look that crossed his face when he realized what the General had planned. "You don't mean your sister?"

"What's wrong with that?" Gertrude said hurt by Klink's reaction.

"Oh no, no, nothing, it's a wonderful idea but you see it's very complicated work," Klink said in an attempt to smooth things over.

She had kept house, balanced the household expenses, cared for their children, entertained high-ranking officials and acted as her husband's personal secretary. Yet he thought she was too stupid to manage one little office, the nerve of the man.

"What is so complicated about it? I can make twice the mess I see here."

"Well you see, work has been piling up since Fräulein Hilda left."

"That is no excuse to leave an office looking like this. Here," she said thrusting the wastepaper basket into his hands, "dump this."

"But I-I-I-I," Klink stuttered.

Piling more trash into Klink's hands, Gertrude continued in a tone which said she would brook no argument, "Get rid of this and bring me a broom on your way back."

Klink looked at the General who just smiled. "Yes ma'am," Klink said as he went to do what was ordered of him, leaving Albert and Gertrude alone once again.

"You see Gertrude, Colonel Klink really does need a secretary," Albert said, resuming their earlier conversation.

Resisting her brother's intentions Gertrude responded, "What he really needs is a maid."

"What he really needs is a wife. You know Klink reminds me a lot of Otto."

"Well yeah, yeah he does," Gertrude, said thinking about the physical similarities between the two men. She then thought about the differences. She somehow could not picture Klink bouncing children on his knee or reading love sonnets to her in bed. She remembered the total panic Otto had been in when Lotte had fallen off the swing and broke her arm. He was so upset seeing his little girl in pain that for days afterwards he would bring her home dolls, ribbons and sweets. Gertrude had to intervene before Lotte became hopelessly spoiled. After thinking about it for a moment, she continued, "But there are more differences than similarities. And that makes me a very happy woman."

**Next: Casanova Klink: Part II**

_a/n:_

_Leberkäse (literally "liver cheese") is a type of sausage that does not contain cheese or liver. It is similar to a pink meatloaf, with very finely minced corned beef, pork and onions, spiced with marjoram, baked in a bread pan until a golden crust develops. It can be eaten hot or cold._

_Schwarzbrot is a black rye bread._


	5. Casanova Klink: Part Two

**Casanova Klink: Part II**

Gertrude had spent most of the morning attempting to organize the office. Unfamiliar with the last secretary's filing method, she had to create one for herself. After completing the filing, she set up a tickler system for when various forms and reports were due. As she hunkered down to work, she took special care to note "interesting" items that were crossing her desk. Prior to accepting this job, she had no idea how much information unrelated to running the camp filtered through a Stalag.

Occasionally she would look up from her work and catch Klink looking at her from his slightly opened door. When he noticed she had noticed him, he would quickly shut the door without comment. It was starting to get on her nerves. _If he has something to say, he should just say it instead of hiding in his office and peeping at me as if I was a featured exhibit in a sideshow and he was a twelve-year-old boy._

Around mid-morning, Schultz came to the Kommandantur to give Klink the morning briefing. This consisted mostly of a list of prisoners and guards who had were on report for various infractions of the rules, a list of those on sick call, requests for supplies and various other items that helped the Klink manage the camp's day-to-day activities. On his way out Schultz stopped at her desk and smiled. He had such an open smile; Gertrude could not help but instantly like the rotund guard. He reminded her of the Steiff bear Lotte carried everywhere with her as a child. Of course, Schultz did not have the trademark hump but he was just as cuddlesome.

"Excuse me Frau Linkmeyer," Schultz began, "Kommandant Klink has said that you have done enough work and it is alright if you took the rest of the day off."

"If he is unhappy with my work and wants me to go home, he should have the decency to tell me himself."

"Oh no Gnädige Frau, you are doing an excellent job," Schultz replied in a hurried manner.

"Then why does he want me to leave?"

"Er…why? Why? The Kommandant has asked me to get Colonel Hogan," Schultz said changing the subject as he backed away from her penetrating stare. Schultz hurried out the door, tripping over the doorsill. Luckily, he was able to catch himself by grabbing the doorframe before he fell, face first, onto the porch. He gave her an abashed look before quickly closing the door behind him. She looked nonplussed at where Schultz had just been. _Hogan spends more time with the Kommandant that he does with his own men. Why is he so dependent on the enemy? Certainly, he must have confidences within his staff or men of similar rank._

Gertrude did not have to wait long before Hogan came strutting into the Kommandantur as if he owned it. He gave her a brief smirk before letting himself into the Kommandant's office, unannounced. She had the urge to get up and listen at the door but decided against it. She would be mortified if caught and how would she even begin to explain it. No, she needed other ways to determine what was going on around her. Perhaps she would ask Odie his advice on the matter next time she saw him.

The ringing of the phone startled her out of her ruminations. Realizing it was Klink's private line, she hurried to answer it. She listened as he invited her out to dinner. _This day just gets stranger and stranger,_ she thought to herself. It was on her lips to decline his invitation but she thought better of it. No use giving him more reason to act like an ass. Reluctantly she accepted. He told her he would pick her up in his staff car at 1700 hours giving her enough time to change her clothes and freshen up after work.

Gertrude was pleasantly surprised to find Klink was as punctual as she would expect from a man of his rank and responsibilities. She had thought they were going to the Hofbräu, which is where all the soldiers liked to frequent. Instead, he had chosen Die Blaue Taube, which boasted a spectacular view of the Fränkische Saale River. She was impressed with his choice and told him so. His face broke into a wide smile and he preened with effervescent joy. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of the real Klink. What she saw was not the man who was her brother's toady or Hogan's cat's-paw, but the real man behind the monocle, and she liked what she saw.

He escorted her into the gracious interior of the restaurant. She smiled as he pulled the chair out for her so she could sit down. For a moment, it was if she had been pulled back in time and it was Otto, not Klink, sitting across the table. She forced such fanciful thoughts from her mind. Klink was not Otto and she needed to take care not to confuse the two. Besides the inherit danger in doing so, it was not fair to Klink. Her assessment of him needed to be on his own merits. Not compared to someone, who in Gertrude's mind, he could never match.

Klink ordered a nice bottle of Riesling for them and a Butterbrot with Handkäse and Ham for himself, while she ordered a hearty bowl of Lumpen und Fleeh. The Kommandant presented his rationed book and waited while the waiter clipped the required coupons. She became nervous at the amount clipped from the book and appreciated how much this meal was costing him.

After they finished eating, they chatted amicably together as they finished of the rest of the wine. She was impressed that when he was by himself and not attempting to impress anyone by blowing his own horn, he was almost charming.

They continued to chat on their way back to the camp and Klink even walked her to her door and said good night. Overall, it was a delightful experience. So when he called her the next day, again after Hogan disappeared into his office, and asked her out for another meal, she became alarmed and suspicious. She felt it was time to nip it in the bud before her brother began looking for a minister.

Gertrude made sure this dinner would put moral fear in Klink's heart. She began to call him Wilhelm and assumed a familiarity that did not exist between the two of them. She cooed and purred at him, taking care to stroke his hand while they were traveling in the car. At dinner, she sat closer to him than was proper and began discussing the weddings that she had been to. He looked like a rabbit at a bobcat family reunion. She felt sorry for the poor guy and hated to do it to him but this was every man, or woman, for himself. By the end of the night, the he was a quivering bowl of jelly. For a moment, she thought he was going to collapse in her arms and start bawling.

When she returned to her quarters, it was as she had feared. Albert telephoned to say he had heard about her nightly activities and thought it would be nice to invite Klink home for a home cooked meal. At first, she refused but later she rethought her position. It might be just the thing to send him crying to Hogan; if anyone could extract them from this mess it would be the one who got them in it in the first place.

That morning everything fell into place, exactly as she wanted. She wore the ugliest dress she had in her closet. She would have burned it long ago but it was a present from Berta and Albert might be offended if she did not wear it occasionally. She flattered and sweet-talked him until the poor man could not stand it any longer and called for Hogan. She gave them a few minutes alone to come up with a plan and then made an excuse to come into his office. Fifteen minutes later she had her bags packed and was being driven home in the Kommandant's staff car.

Looking up at the blue fall sky, Gertrude could not help but think today was a good day and immediately began to plan her next visit to the Stalag. There were just too many interesting things going on there for her not to return. She smiled and the thought, leaned back in the seat and began to enjoy the ride home.

**Next: The Unfair Exchange**

_A/n:_

_Die Blaue Taube: The Blue Dove is my creation. To my knowledge, there is no such restaurant in Hammelburg or anywhere else. _

_Riesling is a type of white wine produced in the Rhine region of Germany from grapes of the same name._

_Butterbrot with Handkäse and Ham is an open-faced sandwich eaten with a knife and fork._

_Lumpen und Fleeh (Rags and Fleas) is a type of one pot stew similar to Irish stew. _

_Rationing: Ration stamps, issued to all civilians, were color-coded and included rations for: sugar (white stamps), meat (blue stamps), fruits and nuts (purple stamps), dairy (yellow stamps), eggs (green stamps), cooking oil, grains, bread, jelly/jam, Kaffee-ersatz (imitation coffee made from roasted barley, oats, and chicory mixed with chemicals from coal oil tar). Citrus fruits were unavailable during the war. During the time this story takes place, rations were, 8000 grams of bread (about a half loaf a day), 120 grams of meat (less than a 10th of lb. of meat per day), 600 grams of general foods, 130 grams of sugar. Food coupons were used to buy groceries but they were also used at restaurants. If you went to a restaurant, you had to take your stamps with you. In addition to taking your money, the waiter would have removed all of the stamps needed to produce the meal. Having the required stamps did not equate to you getting the item you wanted. The store, baker, butcher had to have the item first before he could sell it. Counterfeiting ration books weas a problem during the war and punishable by placement in a labor camp. Towards the end of the war, to counterfeit or use counterfeit coupons was punishable by death. I am not sure if Klink, being in the military, would have ration coupons but since the series has shown him in restaurants and purchasing food for one of LeBeau's meals, I am winking at history. _

_For German's at that time, the big meal of the day was lunch with the evening meal being smaller, almost like a light American lunch._


	6. Unfair Exchange:Preamble

**Unfair Exchange: Preamble**

Gertrude emerged from the forest carrying a large basket of nettles, prickly lettuce, dandelion, sheep sorrel, wild mushrooms and chicory. Wiping the perspiration from her face with a handkerchief, she paused for a moment to enjoy the cool spring breeze on her heated skin. Hefting the heavy basket to her hip, she carried it to the house. Setting her burden down by the back door, she took a moment to stretch the knot out of her back. Turning, she crossed the yard to the small shed at the edge of the property. Getting two small bags of feed, she went to the rabbit hutches and began feeding them.

"Weeding your garden, M'lady?"

Deep in thought, Gertrude had not heard the man's approach. Started by his voice, she gave a small yip and spun around. As if to still her rapidly beating heart, she placed her hand on her chest. "You frightened me Odie," she admonished. Noticing where he was standing, she continued, "Please be careful and not step in my garden. I just planted that section."

The young man glanced at the small garden near his feet, then looked back at Gertrude and smiled, "Who were you expecting, the Gestapo?"

"That is not remotely funny Odie," Gertrude softly chastised. She turned back around to finish her task. Securing the latches, she turned her attention to the chickens. As she scattered the food on the ground, she addressed her visitor. "The answer to your question is no, I was not weeding my garden. That is tonight's dinner. The nettles will make a tea and the rest will be a nice salad." She did not have to turn around to know he was not happy. "Do not be angry Odie, we all do what we must to survive. Besides, it is Sunday and all the shops are closed."

"Is this what the war has reduced us to? We are now nation of weed eaters?"

She turned and faced him, "Things are as they are, Odie. Besides, Albert sometimes brings us things. It is not as if we are starving. We have it good compared to the people in the cities. That is why after Otto's death I moved us out here. I can remember the depravations of the last war, not to mention the seemingly continuous bombing of our cities by the Allies. It is safer here. Besides, I have rabbits for meat, my garden for herbs and vegetables and some chickens for eggs. Yesterday, I shot a deer that was nibbling on my tomato plants. Herr Steiner is trading me one of his Nubians for the carcass."

"Nubians?" Odie asked, clearly puzzled.

"It's a type of dairy goat, the ones with the bunny ears," Gertrude said laughingly as she pantomimed the ears. "You are such a city boy. Could you go to the shed and get me my small clippers? I need to cut some basil and rosemary to make the dressing for tonight's meal."

"Of course," Odie said as he turned and walked to the open shed. "I know Herr Steiner, what is he getting out of this? He would sell his own mother, at discount prices too."

"He is selling the deer to the butcher for a hefty profit. In addition, it always is good to keep the mother and sister of a General happy. You never know when you'll need a favor," Gertrude said as she shrugged her shoulders pragmatically.

Odie brought the chippers Gertrude and placed them into her outstretched hand. She cut a few leaves of the needed herbs and placed them in the basket by the door. Walking over to a patio chair, she sat down with a groan and set the small scissors on the nearby table. "I'm getting old."

"Not so old, M'lady."

"Old enough to be your mother," Gertrude replied with a chuckle.

"Barely," he replied as he sat down in the chair next to her. "Speaking of mothers, where is Frau Burkhalter?"

"She is inside, sitting in her favorite chair listening to the Volksempfänger. She would rather die than miss the Wunschkonzert für die Wehrmacht. She is rooting for Inge and Herbert to get back together."

"And Lotte?"

"In town with a young admirer, I think they went on a picnic together. Do not worry. We are alone. What is wrong?" Gertrude asked sensing Odie's troubled spirit.

"Maria Hoffman was picked up last night while trying to pass the information about our troops in France."

"And Papa Bear?"

"He and his men got away. Our informer says they are holding her at Gestapo Headquarters in Hammelburg."

"The risk to us, Odie?"

"Well she knows how to identify Papa Bear. Unknown if she knows his real identity. Her knowledge is generally limited to the cell she works in."

"Does she know you Odie?" Gertrude asked with concern.

"I think she may know of me but I haven't personally dealt with her, only her superiors."

"But if the Gestapo breaks her, the entire cell can be arrested, including her superiors. It could ultimately lead to you my dear."

"And through me, to you," replied Odie.

Gertrude sighed, "It is all so Machiavellian." She pondered in thought and the said, "Do you know how to reach Papa Bear?"

"Yes, M'lady."

"Let him know her situation. If what I have heard about him is true, he will try to rescue her. It seems he has a white knight complex when it comes to pretty girls." Gertrude reached over and patted Odie's hand. "My brother is planning a surprise inspection to Stalag XIII tomorrow. I had begged off going as I was just there two weeks ago. Klink spent the entire time locked in his office, trembling. I thought to give the poor man a break but I guess it is not to be. From there, I should be able to keep my eyes and ears open for any possible advantage or danger. If I find out anything, I will get the information to you through the usual courier. You need to be ready to get Maria immediately out of the country. Once she wiggles free of their grasp, the Gestapo will rip the countryside apart looking for her. You will also need to tell the others to prepare for searches and intensive questioning. Anything that could be considered incriminating must be carefully hidden or destroyed."

"Don't worry; everything will be taken care of. It is a good thing for us you became your brother's secretary. You never did tell me how you managed it."

"It was easy, Odie. I just causally mentioned to Bertha that if my brother is to advance in rank he needs to be more organized and a good secretary could do that for him. I then went down a list of every single pretty girl I knew who could apply for the position. An hour later, Berta was demanding he hire me. Of course I was shocked, surprised and flattered when he approached me with the job offer."

Odie gave a hardly laugh, "You are a devious woman, M'lady, I am glad you work for us."

"Isn't that why I was recruited Odie? That and I am a general's sister." Gertrude replied with a knowing smile. "Besides, now Lotte does not have to work and can stay close to home to help me with Mama. In these troubled times, I feel better knowing she close and safe."

"I know it was a great concern for you," he said as he rose from the chair. He grasped her work worn hand and brought it to his lips. "Be careful M'lady. I have grown very fond of you."

"And I you," she replied. As he began to let go of her, she clutched his hand with her other hand. "Odie, no matter what happens, make sure none of this blows back on Albert."

"I promise, M'lady," he said as he gave her hand a small squeeze before releasing it.

She watched him turn and disappear into the wood line, leaving Gertrude alone with her thoughts.

_A\n:_

_Towards the end of the war, with supplies almost nonexistent due to the blockades and damaged infrastructure, the people began raising rabbits for food. Edible wild plants supplemented their meager rations. (The plants listed are edible but caution is needed due to potential allergies and the pesticides that are in heavy use these days. In addition, particularly with wild mushrooms, you need to be aware of what you are picking, as many similar looking plants can be toxic. Some have medicinal qualities, which should be taken into consideration before ingesting.) Besides the strict rationing, food prices were high. Before the war, a loaf of bread was eight pfennings. Near the end of the war, bread was selling for two hundred Marks in Berlin or more a month's pay for the average male worker. _

_Germany had been in a severe depression prior to the war. Most families did not have an icebox or any form of refrigeration. Therefore, shopping for perishables was a daily activity. Most did not have electric stoves but cooked using coal or processed potato stalks as a heat source. There were no grocery stores as we know them today. You went to the grocer for staples, the produce man for fruits and vegetables, butcher for meat, baker for bread and so on. This was a time consuming task even without the rationing. With rationing, it became an ordeal as customers waited in long lines for hours and often left without obtaining the need items because the supply had run out._

_Volksempfänger: ("people's receiver") was a range of radio receivers developed by engineer Otto Griessing at the request of Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. All Volksempfängers sold on the domestic market were purposely designed only to receive the Deutschlandsender and regional stations of the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft, as to ensure that Nazi propaganda broadcasts could readily be heard while other media, such as the BBC could not. Listening to foreign stations became a criminal offence in Nazi Germany when the war began, while in some occupied territories, such as Poland, all radio listening by non-German citizens was outlawed (later during the war this prohibition was extended to most other occupied countries coupled with mass seizures of radio sets). Penalties ranged from confiscation of radios and imprisonment to, particularly later in the war, the death penalty._

_Wunschkonzert für die Wehrmacht: (Concert Requests for the Wehrmacht) a weekly variety program that was a vehicle for the Third Reich's propaganda. It came on at 3pm Sundays and had a serial (or what would be called a soap opera today) about Inge and Herbert, star crossed lovers torn apart by the war._


	7. Unfair Exchange: The Invitation

**Unfair Exchange: The Invitation**

Gertrude had no problem convincing her brother of her change of heart regarding her going with him on his inspection tour of Stalag XIII. All she had to do was invoke Klink's name and he was eager for her to join him. As they drove to the camp, Albert only wanted to talk about what a good match she and the Kommandant would make. Gertrude half listened to him, giving him an "uh-huh" and "I see" at times she when thought was appropriate. Most of her attention was on how to deal with the Maria Hoffman problem. While she was worried about the security risk Maria posed, Gertrude was also worried about the young girl's welfare. Frau Linkmeyer knew firsthand how vicious and cold-blooded the Gestapo was. To her they were Lucifer's soulless hellhounds, born in the deepest fiery pit of perdition. Men without, morals, conscience or pity, who took great pleasure in the pain and terror they inflicted on their helpless victims. She knew what a rush such power gave to men like that and the lengths they would go to retain it.

As the car drove through the front gates, she saw Klink in his usual place in front of the Kommandantur. His fawning and kowtowing starting even before the car had fully stopped. She gave her head a small shake in wonder. Since she had gotten a small glimpse of the real man during her last visit, she was perplexed as why he would willingly want to be perceived as a simpering fool. Perhaps this is his camouflage, the way he survived this terrible war. Gertrude wondered what scars the man silently bore that made him the way he was.

General Burkhalter began to shout orders to Klink in rapid succession. The Kommandant could not keep up with them all, which served to infuriate the General. Gertrude used this as an excuse to retire to the VIP quarters. She needed time to think and make contact with the courier. Besides, her brother would tell her any gossip he picked up during his inspection and her presence might hinder that process.

Gertrude waited by the window in her quarters waiting to catch the eye of her inside man. Surely, he must know she was in camp by now. She patiently waited, knowing he would make contact only when it was safe to do so. She turned from the window and began working on Albert's papers, careful to make discrete mental notes on troop movements. While the General would not be so foolish to let her peruse battle plans and troop movements, by carefully reading the supply requisitions and the depots where the supplies were to be dispersed she was able to get a general idea of the movements and locations of the Army Group B, along with the 15th and 7th Armies. She carefully committed the details to memory.

Albert came arrived in time for the lunch that Feldwebel Schultz had brought from the officer's mess. They ate together quietly both absorbed in their own thoughts. Albert finally broke the silence by telling Gertrude about an earlier conversation he had with Klink. She frowned at her brother but held her tongue. Last thing she wanted was to get into an argument with him. Let him think what he wanted, it could always serve her later on if she needed an excuse to be here without her brother.

Afterward lunch was over; the General reviewed her completed work and let her know how appreciative he was of her efforts on his behalf. Gertrude felt a pang in her heart for betraying her brother in this fashion but brushed it away as she felt this was the only way she could save him. She had lost enough people to this war and she refused to lose any one else. She attempted to pry some camp gossip from him but he was too preoccupied with his annoyance at Klink's bookkeeping to answer any of her questions. As he turned to leave, she noticed a loose button on his jacket. Since he was going to be in conference with Klink for the rest of the day, reviewing the gigs he had noted on his inspection, Gertrude volunteered to fix the button so it would not fall off.

Sitting on the couch, sewing Albert's button, Gertrude heard a knock at the door. Expecting to see her contact, she beckoned the visitor to come in. She was surprised to see it was none other than Colonel Hogan. She lifted one eyebrow in surprise but continued her sewing.

"Is Colonel Klink here," Hogan asked.

"No, he is in his office with my brother," she replied, not looking up from her work.

"Oh, I thought someone said they saw him come in here."

"This is the last place he'd want to be," Gertrude said wanting him to leave before her plans got side tracked. The stakes were too high to allow this meddling American to derail them with his endless machinations.

Instead of taking the hint, Hogan took off his cap, crossed the room and sat down on the arm of the sofa, next to Gertrude. She frowned at his careless abuse of the Kommandant's furniture and doubted he ever sat on the arm of his mother's furniture. Well, at least not twice. His choice of seating was not lost on her. By sitting on the arm of the sofa, he towered over her, giving him the position of power with her having the subordinate role.

"Colonel Klink talks about you all the time," Hogan began without preamble.

_Not this again,_ she thought to herself. _He can't come up with any new material?_ "Really, I thought the Bald Eagle talked never talked about anybody but himself."

"Well in your case he makes an exception. He thinks you're clever, forceful, efficient, thrifty."

"He has to say those things. I am not a beautiful woman," Gertrude returned as she tried to cut the thread with her teeth because he had her too befuddled to know where she had set her scissors. Hogan leaned forward, picked up the scissors from the coffee table and cut the thread for her.

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."

_What a bunch of garbage. What is he up to?_ "Yeah, yeah, that's what I keep telling everyone," Gertrude said tiring of the game. Feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable sitting next to the American, Gertrude got up in the hope that Hogan would remain where he was and she could put some distance between the two of them. Unfortunately, Hogan decided to follow her. Stopping near the bedroom door, Gertrude decided it was best to humor him and hope he would quickly leave. She turned at faced Hogan, unwilling to retreat any further.

"I hope I'm not violating a confidence, Frau Linkmeyer, but uhm…..I really think Colonel Klink is crazy about you," Hogan said as he smiled down at her.

_Lair!_ _What is your game, Hogan?_ Gertrude thought it best to play along and try to figure out what the Colonel was up to. "Why doesn't he tell me so himself? Is he too shy to mention it?"

"Not exactly shy, I'd call it yellow. It comes to the same thing," replied Hogan.

"What is he afraid of?"

"Your brother is a general."

"Albert?" Gertrude chuckled at the absurdity of Hogan's remark. Her brother would jump at the chance to marry her off, even to Klink. She decided to reply with some nonsense of her own. "Generals are harmless, except of course to the men who do the fighting."

Hogan snickered at her joke. "Yeah, you got something there." Hogan glanced at his watch and suddenly took on an air of a man in a hurry. "Well, I got to be getting back to the barracks. I really came over to see the Kommandant. I'm glad we could have this little talk, Frau Linkmeyer."

"So am I," Gertrude said smiling at the realization for some reason Hogan wanted her and Klink together. Somehow, she doubted Hogan was a romantic. She was intrigued as to what the man was plotting. Before she could consider the matter further, the phone rang. As she went to answer it, she noticed Hogan had stopped and was waiting, almost expectantly.

"Hello," she said, answering the phone.

"Frau Linkmeyer please," requested an unknown male voice.

"Yeah, this is Frau Linkmeyer." Gertrude saw out of the corner of her eye, Hogan had stepped closer, apparently not caring if she knew he was ease dropping or not.

"Ah, Frau Linkmeyer, I am a friend of Oberst Klink and he asked me to give you a very important message."

"Why doesn't he call me himself?" _Better yet, just walk next door and talk to me. Something is wrong here._

"The Oberst would like to see you at the Hauserhof in Hammelburg tomorrow night."

"Oh he would, would he?" _If Klink wanted a romantic meeting, why not ask to meet him where he took me before. Why chose a Hotel? Something is wrong. I suspect Klink is not behind this call but I had better play along, especially since Hogan seems so interested in this conversation. _

"Yes, and please do not tell anyone."

"Tell the Oberst I will meet him as he asks."

"Yes, Frau Linkmeyer," the voice said before severing the connection.

Gertrude hung up and turned to find Hogan at her shoulder. "The Kommandant wants me to meet him alone," Gertrude said, watching for Hogan's reaction.

"Love will find a way," Hogan replied.

"Ja, Klink is not my idea of husband material but in wartime you have to substitute for everything," Gertrude said watching Hogan closely.

"Well actually Ol' Blood and Guts is a loveable type."

"Colonel, you really need to talk to the Red Cross about a prisoner exchange." Noting the confusion on his face, she continued. "You have been here too long."

Gertrude turned and walked into the bedroom. She could hear Colonel Hogan chuckling as she closed the door. _Well at least I know he isn't a complete bore, the man does have a sense of humor._ She began to wash up and then changed out of her drab utilitarian brown dress into sometime more appropriate for dinner. She looked at her favorite lavender paisley and decided she would wear it tommorrow when she went to her meeting with Klink. As she touched up her makeup, she realized the voice had not said when Klink wanted to meet her. Since Klink was supposed to be in a meeting with her brother for the next three days, she reasoned he would want to meeet her at 1700 like the last time. She paused in applying the rouge to her cheek. _Why take separate cars?_ It did not make any sense to her. Finishing she put on her hat and coat and went to the motor poor. If he wanted to meet with her, then he could supply the gas. She decided tommorrow she would brow beat the young man in the motor pool into giving her a car.

The next evening as she got ready for her 'date' she felt not only nervous and excited but perplexed. She was so confused over her conversations yesterday afternoon, she had left her purse on the side table next to the door. She was about to turn around to retrieve it, when to men in Luftwaffe uniforms, flagged the car down.

_What now?_ Gertrude thought to herself.

**Next: Unfair Exchange: Kidnapped!**


	8. Unfair Exchange: Kidnapped!

**Unfair Exchange: Kidnapped!**

In the dark, Gertrude saw two men standing in the road attempting to wave her down. She slowed the car to a stop. The men, wearing ill-fitting Luftwaffe uniforms, approached her. "Evening Ma'am," said the taller of the two.

"Evening, what's the trouble?" responded Gertrude, hoping to keep her panic out of her voice. _Maybe I can bluff my way out of this._ She knew the penalty for not having her identity papers with her. Being General Burkhalter's sister, she probably be released with a stern reprimand but in these times, there were no guarantees. She shivered inside her coat but it had nothing to do with the cool evening air.

"No trouble, just a routine check. Your papers please."

"I do not carry papers. I am Frau Linkmeyer, General Burkhalter's sister," she said in a vain hope to intimidate them into letting her pass. At that point, Gertrude saw that things were starting to go downhill fast. The soldiers clearly did not believe her and went as far as to openly mock her. Her arguing with them only led to her being forcibly removed from the car in order for them to search it. As she stood there fussing at the men, she realized something was amiss. Not only were they not following established protocol but also they did not have any back up or a way to call for assistance. She was about to try and make a run for it when a smelly burlap sack was thrown over her head, blinding her, and her arms were roughly tied behind her back. She continued to struggle with the men and began to scream for help. Something hard struck the back of her head. Falling to her knees, she blacked out.

When she awoke, she found herself blindfolded and tied to a chair. Disoriented, she tried her best to get her bearings. She willed herself to remain calm and tried to detect any noises or smells which might give her a clue as to where she was. She first noticed a chilly draft coming from her right. She thought she detected the smell of burning kerosene. There was a cold dampness to the place but she did not catch the scent of mold. She moved her feet discreetly, as not to gain the attention of anyone who might be watching her. She heard the soft sound of shifting sand. She wondered if she might be in a cave or perhaps a root cellar.

"Hello is anyone there?" she called out. Nothing. This did not mean she was alone, it just could mean they wanted to conceal their presence for the moment. She feared that her role in the underground had been discovered and this was the beginning of a long and brutal Gestapo interrogation. Of course, it could be an enemy of her brother or an unknown partisan group. Both opinions were equally dangerous. She felt her throat go dry with all the possibilities. Summoning all of her courage, she decided to play the innocent until she could gather more information.

She tried to shift, unsuccessfully, in the chair. Her nose itched and she was unable to scratch it. It was starting to drive her mad. She wondered if this was the start of the questioning. Leave her blind, helpless and alone with her thoughts in order to soften her up. The imagination could be the torture's greatest tool. By leaving someone to contemplate their predicament, a person could come up with numerous hideous scenarios as to what was going to happen, with each being worse than the one before. She thought about the reports of girls as young as thirteen and women as old as seventy being raped and murdered by the advancing Red army. She had heard that it had nothing to do with sex but was an act of sheer violence. If that were true, she knew her plain looks or age would not save her. She felt vulnerable and frightened.

She could not gauge how long she sat there before hearing the muted crunch of sand as someone came near her.

"Evening Frau Linkmeyer," a voice said to her.

"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?"

"All in good time my lady."

_He said, 'my lady'. Does he know my code name within my cell or was that just a turn of phrase that meant nothing?_ She fought back the rising panic and struggled to remain calm.

"Are you hungry?"

"No," she replied. She could not decide if this was a trick or a genuine offer of food. It could be poisoned or drugged for all she knew. Was the offer a way for her captors to gain her trust? She wondered how long she could hold out without food or water. Her stomach growled, betraying the fact she had not eaten since lunch.

"You are hungry. I will get you something. Do not worry it is not poisoned. If everything goes well, you will be home soon."

"Why am I here? What do you want?"

"A simple trade, you for Maria Hoffman. It is all right, you are safe. We will not hurt you. If we did, then we hurt our chances of a successful exchange. I will come back with some food for you." She listened as the soft footsteps retreated until they disappeared, leaving her only with the sound of her ragged breath.

Is it _Papa Bear's people or is it the Gestapo trying to get me to incriminate myself? I am going to have pretend to know nothing and hope what He is telling me is the truth._

By the time He came back, her back and arms had begun to cramp. She hoped He would be generous and untie her hands but He chose to feed her himself instead. To take her mind off her discomfort, she decided to try to feel Him out so she could get as much information about her situation as possible.

She felt a spoon touch her lips and tasted what He offered her. It was oatmeal with a bit of sugar and milk. It was a simple but expensive meal.

"Mmmm, this is good," Gertrude said in an effort to get on the good side of her captor.

"Thank-you."

"I will give you money when I am free." She hoped that her attempt at a bribe would gain her some information.

"Thank-you."

"Where am I? Where is this place?"

"You're in a hotel in Dusseldorf," He said.

"But it is so damp in here, I feel like I'm in a cellar."

"Well it is one of the cheaper rooms. It's good. Yes?"

The sound of crunching sand alerted her that someone else had arrived and stood near her. She thought she could hear two sets of footsteps but could not be sure. "Who is that? Someone just came into the room."

"That is just the chambermaid. Good day Gretchen, don't bother to clean the room now. Good bye."

"She didn't answer you."

In a hushed voice He replied, "Her husband doesn't let her talking to strangers. There," He said as he fed her another mouth full.

She continued to eat but pondered He had said. If they worked together then they couldn't be strangers and wouldn't a maid who come upon a scene of a woman tied up in a chair blindfolded, raise an alarm?

The ringing of a phone right next to her startled her.

"Excuse me please, the telephone."

She heard Him get up and take a few steps.

"Hello, yes this is Heinrich. What? Well I can't help that room service is getting busy. No I'm still feeding the woman in four one two. Yeah, yeah, as soon as possible. Good bye."

"That room service. They're crazy, they think I'm twins," he said as he continued to feed her.

_What kind of nonsense is this? Does he really expect me to believe the whole hotel is in on the kidnapping? I best play along and act as if I am a twit who does not know what is going on around her._ "So I am in room four one two, aye?"

"Ah, it slipped out. Don't tell the boss, he'll kill me."

"But what hotel is this?"

"Sweetheart, sweetheart, I can't tell you everything."

Gertrude thought about what she had learned. She was certain Papa Bear had kidnapped her and he was feeding her information he wanted her brother to know. A red herring, so the Gestapo will look in one place, while Maria escapes from another. Now that she knew the role she was to play in this theater production, she was finally able to relax.

Soon, she became very sleepy. _So the food had been drugged_, she thought as she tried to fight its effects. She woke up in a car, blindfolded and gaged. Was she wrong? Was it really the Gestapo all this time? Had she inadvertently given something away? Forced from the car, she was dragged into what smelled like a barn and shoved roughly down into a chair. She listened as the footsteps retreated and a nearby door locked. She strained her ears trying to listen for any sound or movement but she heard nothing.

After a while, she thought she heard wood scraping on wood. She sat up straighter and gave the mystery sound her full attention.

"Anybody home? Anybody here? It's me, Feldwebel Schultzie."

_Schultz!_ Gertrude began trying to scream for help through the gag. She heard the door unlock and it open.

"Oh excuse me, I got a letter from…..Frau Linkmeyer, I thought you were kidnapped. Frau Linkmeyer, you are kidnapped! Oh Frau Linkmeyer you are kidnapped! Frau Linkmeyer!"

She felt Schultz begin to untie her. She had never been so grateful to see anyone in her life as she did right now. Finally free and able to see, she threw her arms around the large guard, as he helped her to her feet.

"They kept me in some terrible hotel in Dusseldorf. How did you know I was here, Schultz?"

"I came to see a lady, Wilma Braun?" She noted the flowers and wine Schultz was carrying and realized he had been manipulated into being a part of Papa Bear's plan. She felt her anger rising.

"They could have killed me!"

Schultz must have come to the same conclusion regarding his fool's errand. "Terrible and I spent so much on flowers and on wine," he said sadly.

A voice she hated suddenly sounded from outside the barn. "Attention, this is the Gestapo. The building is surrounded. Give yourselves up. You have no chance to get away."

_That idiot will get us all killed. There has never been a man as trigger happy as Hochstetter._ Schultz must have realized it also. She could see the terror in the big man's eyes. She could hear voices outside arguing. She thought it must be her brother and Klink.

"I order you to send out Frau Linkmeyer alone," demanded Hochstetter.

Sensing the extreme danger they both were in, Gertrude said, "Oh, oh, I will do as he says. I will go out first and then you follow Schultz."

"No, no, no, no, no! They will think I kidnapped you," cried a frightened Schultz.

"Ah, don't be silly. I will explain."

"Oh boy that's real trouble."

Before she could reply, a spray of bullets filled the barn. Schultz grabbed her and threw them both to the ground. Knowing that the Major was certifiable and would happily kill everyone in the barn, friend and foe alike, Gertrude jumped up and ran outside and into the waiting arms of her brother. Just as she feared, Hochstetter began firing randomly into the barn.

"Stop, Schultz is in there!"

When the shooting stopped, Gertrude was relieved to see Schultz was bruised but unharmed. Stupid thoughtless stunts like this made her despise Hochstetter. He never cared about the body count as long as he got the man or woman he was after.

General Burkhalter ordered Klink to drive her back to camp while he and the Major searched for the kidnappers. As she walked towards the car, she thought she saw movement in the bushes near the tree line but it was too dark to make out whom it was. Klink sat in the back seat with her and ordered the driver to return to camp.

Now that she was no longer in danger, the emotions that she had suppressed came to the surface and she began to cry. Klink sat next to her, stiff and silent. As her cries became louder, he began to pat her shoulder and tell her everything was all right. When that did not work, he ordered Langenscheidt to stop the car. Afraid she was about to be ordered from the car, Gertrude tried to stop the tears, only to end up crying harder and having a bad case of the hic ups.

Klink got out, walked around the car and opened her door. He leaned down and extended his hand.

"I will behave Kommandant; please don't make me walk back to camp."

"Give me your hand, Gertrude."

Surprised by his use of her first name, Frau Linkmeyer did as he asked. After helping her to her feet, he spoke to the driver, "Langenscheidt, keep the motor running. We are going for a walk but will not go far." Placing his arm around her waist, Klink began to walk slowly up the road.

"I do not understand Kommandant," Gertrude said looking up at Klink with her red-splotched face.

"When I am bothered or plagued by memories best forgotten, I like to take a walk at night when the air is crisp and clean. Much like it is tonight. It helps to clear my mind and settle my emotions. Besides, you should not let the enlisted see you in that condition. They like to talk about those of higher rank or status."

"So the young man driving will tell everyone I broke down and cried?"

"No, unlike most of the others of similar rank, Langenscheidt is the soul of discretion," Klink replied.

She suddenly felt drained and exhausted. She laid her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk. He was right, the night air did help clear her head and settle her nerves.

"So it was the underground that had me, not the Gestapo."

She heard Klink laugh nervously. "Now why would you believe the Gestapo had you? You're General Burkhalter's sister."

"Albert has his enemies, besides you know the Gestapo loves to execute Generals. It keeps them on Hitler's good side." Gertrude's hand flew to her mouth. She knew her words had been ill-advised. She looked up to see Klink looking at her with a puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, I am so overwrought, I don't know what I am saying."

Klink looked out into the darkness, paused a moment and then turned around and started walking back towards the car. "It is alright, I have no love for the Gestapo either. Just hearing their name starts my bones to rattling."

"Why? What happened, Wilhelm?"

He shook his head and refused to meet her eyes. "Let's just say, I had an up close and personal meeting with the Gestapo once."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Frau Linkmeyer." Klink paused as if to consider his next words. "I owe you an apology."

"For what?" she asked.

"When I am nervous, or scared, or even awake, I tend to babble. I lose the ability to choose my words before I say them. While you were missing, I said some unkind things. Made jokes at your expense and I am sorry."

"Why are you telling me this? I probably never would have found out about it."

"Because it was unbecoming an officer and a gentlemen and more importantly, it was unkind and insensitive of me and I am sorry."

Gertrude smiled into his great coat. Klink had shown her a side of him tonight that she suspected few ever witnessed. This man might be foolish at times but he did possess a heart. For some reason, that made her happy.

Pausing before the car lights, he looked down at her. "Your brother will be worried. Would you like to get into the car now or take another lap?"

"Another lap, if you don't mind, Kommandant."

Later back at camp, she sat next to Klink while Hochstetter threw his wild accusations around. When he began to accuse Klink, she rose to his defense. Hogan was there with his pity remarks. Something tickled the back of her brain. A voice she heard when she was first waking up. It had been distant and only a few words but it seemed familiar. What made her think of it now, she wondered.

Albert walked her to the car, as she settled into the back seat; a young man approached the vehicle.

"Good morning Frau Linkmeyer. I am glad to see you are well and free of those brigands."

"Thank you Leutnant…."

"Bergman," the young officer supplied. "I brought you some sandwiches from the mess hall for your trip home. I am told the cheese on black bread is especially good today."

She smiled understanding the message. "Thank you for your kindness. I will remember to mention it to Klink the next time I see him."

"Thank you," he said as he moved away from the car to resume his duties.

Gertrude felt the car rock as her brother climbed in beside her and watched as the front gates opened to let them exit the compound. She reached over and took her brother's hand. Wordlessly he squeezed it and she smiled. She was free and she was going home. Could the day get any better?

**Next: Interlude**

_A/n:_

_Before someone writes and says Hogan would never strike a woman, let me place this before you. Gertrude knew the Heroes or at least Hogan. They had to get her blindfolded and to do so; they would have to take the bag off her head. When they did this, she would be able to see them and therefore be able to identify them. Secondly, they had to get her into the tunnels and convince her that she was in a hotel in Dusseldorf. Having her climb down a ladder would seriously compromise the illusion they were trying to create. While Hogan may have regretted hitting a woman, it was unavoidable._


	9. Interlude

**Interlude**

Gertrude came out of the small wooden shed at the edge of the property with her foraging basket, when she glanced up and saw Odie standing near the north corner of the house. Setting the basket down beside the patio chair, she waved him over while she poured two cups of dandelion tea.

"My you're looking very nice today. You have a date in town?"

Odie affected a tight humorless smile, "Not today, I have more important matters to discuss with you."

"Bad news? Well perhaps it will be more enticing if ingested with some tea. Come and sit," she said, gesturing to a nearby chair. She waited until he had seated himself before she sat in the opposite chair. "I'm sorry there is no sugar. It is just impossible to get lately."

"No need to apologize," Odie replied grimacing at the bitter flavor. "I came because the Gestapo has stepped up their search for Maria."

"Did she reach the safe house in Malmö alright?"

"Yes, our contact there states if all goes well, she should be in England by the end of the month. What worries me at this point is the increased Gestapo presence in the area. I have been informed the cell in Düsseldorf has been broken and there have been many arrests."

Gertrude set down her cup and studied it for a moment before responding. "This is a great setback for us. Can we save anyone?"

"No, the Gestapo had been on to them for a while. They sat back and waited until they had identified all the members and then made the arrests in a single night. There was no way to alert anyone before the deed was done."

"We must be ever vigilant. That could have easily been us."

"You are very careful about security. Your use of code names within the group; varying our meeting spots; never having the entire crew on any single job in order to give alibis to our members for various operations."

"All the security in the world cannot defend against one lucky V-man," replied a distracted Gertrude.

"We all go into this knowing the risks and consequences. What is troubling you, buyer's remorse?"

"No, nothing like that, I just had a troubling dream last night," she replied taking a sip of her now cold tea.

"What was it about?"Odie asked.

"I dreamed I was in a large room and you were there, as was the young driver who brought me back to Stalag XIII after the kidnapping. I cannot recall his name."

"Langenscheidt, I believe."

"Yes, I think you are correct. Klink were also there. I was about to ask them what was going on, when I noticed the presence of my brother and an American POW, a Colonel Hogan. Just then, the door flew open and that odious Major Hochstetter stormed in yelling and demanding to know what everyone was doing there. Pandemonium erupted and everyone began talking all at once."

"What happened then?" he asked as he leaned closer to her, clearly intrigued by the story.

"Well it turns out I was at a spy convention and everyone there was a spy for the Allies, including Hochstetter. We sat around arguing about whom we were supposed to be spying on and if there was anyone who was not working for the Allies. It was a most unsettling dream, to say the least."

Odie threw back his head and laughed heartily. "You need to watch what you eat before bedtime."

"I'm glad you found humor in it. For me, I woke up in a cold sweat," Gertrude replied acerbically.

"If only life were so simple," he replied. "Then we could pretend all this suffering and sacrifice was just the imagination of some demented writer who had nothing better to do than to torment us."

"From your lips to God's ear," Gertrude chuckled. "Speaking of spies, I wanted to ask you about Papa Bear."

"What about him?"

"I was wondering about his identity." She saw the puzzled look on her friend's face and hurriedly continued. "I had a crazy idea after my kidnapping and I wanted you to confirm or debunk it for me. Just tell me if I'm right or wrong." She paused, looked at his raised eyebrow and was thankful of his silence. "I know this is going to sound impossible and insane but for a moment the thought passed through my mind that Papa Bear was Col….."

A loud barking at the front of the house interrupted Gertrude. Both she and Odie jumped to their feet as they heard a pistol discharge and watched as a small yelping dog ran into the backyard. Gertrude bent over and let the frightened three legged brindle and white mutt jump into her arms. Before she could ascertain if the dog was injured, a man in black surge stalked into the backyard with his pistol drawn.

"Major Hochstetter, what is the meaning of this?" Gertrude demanded.

Pointing at the dog in her arms, Hochstetter sputtered, "That beast attacked me."

"That beast, as you so eloquently put it, is my mother's dog, Dreibeinigen." Gertrude turned slightly and addressed Odie standing next to her. "She rescued him when he was a two-week-old puppy from a storm drain. A heavy rainfall had drowned his mother and littermates. The water forced him to be wedged into a narrow pipe with his head barely above the water. She heard his cries and with a neighbor's help, was able to free him. His front leg was severely injured and the vet had to amputate it. She spent weeks nursing him back to health and he has been her loyal companion for the last twelve years. He usually never leaves her lap so I cannot understand how he got outside."

"Bah, the mongrel attacked me when I opened the front door," Hochstetter barked, still waving his pistol for emphasis.

"Opened the front door?" The chill Gertrude's voice would have frozen any other man in his place but Hochstetter seemed immune from her frosty wraith.

"Yes, I came by to discuss your kidnapping in further detail. I knocked several times and when no one answered, I opened the door. That was when that thing launched itself at me and I did what I had to protect myself. I am just sorry I missed the oversized rat."

"A glorious officer of the Third Reich thought himself at peril from a dog that weighs less than five kilos?" Odie remarked with forged innocence.

Hochstetter blinked and regarded Odie for a moment, as if he had just noticed Frau Linkmeyer was not alone. He clicked his boots together and gave Odie a formal bow. Leering like a villain in a silent movie, the Major looked up at the towering Amazon and said, "I do not believe I have had the pleasure of an introduction."

Gertrude glanced at her coconspirator and smiled, "This is a good friend of mine from my days in Berlin, Frau Christa Frobel. Christa, this is Major Hochstetter of the local Gestapo. She, like me, has lost her husband in the Eastern Campaign."

"Tragic about your husband Frau Frobel," replied Hochstetter with a calculating glint in his eye. "How long are we to be graced by your beauty?"

"Not long Major, I have to return to my family shortly. Gertrude was kind enough to give me some respite from the city."

"Yes, you will check in with the local office today? With all the sabotage in the area, we need to keep our honest and most beautiful citizens safe."

"Of course Major," Odie demurred.

Gertrude rolled her eyes and suppressed the bile that was rising in her throat. Hochstetter had the sex appeal of a bloated whale carcass. In an effort to divert his attention from her companion, Gertrude took the major to task for intruding where he was not welcome. "Returning to topic Major, you thought since no one answered your knock, you had the right to break into my home and attempt to murder my mother's dog?"

"That dog is a menace and should be put down," Hochstetter growled.

"That dog is the only protection two widows have in these troubled times Major. I know my brother will be very distressed to hear about this incident."

Hochstetter paled, "Please Gnädig Frau, I don't think troubling your brother will be necessary. Let's just chalk this up to a little misunderstanding between friends."

The man made her skin crawl and the sooner he was gone, the happier she would be. "What about the kidnapping did you want to know?"

"Any small piece of information you have, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you. The smallest detail often provides the key to the puzzle."

"I have told you all I know. If it will ease your mind, I will go over the events again with you but not here. My mother does not know what happened and I prefer to keep it that way. Her health is not good and I do not want to upset her," replied Gertrude. "I will call your office and set up a time for me to come in and talk to you."

"Very good, I will wait to hear from you." Hochstetter glanced down and saw his pistol was still in his hand. A crimson shade appeared in the man's cheeks as he hastily holstered the weapon. Saluting the women, Hochstetter turned and walked to where he had left his vehicle.

Gertrude turned and looked at Odie. "It is snowing in the south."

"Pardon?" a perplexed Odie responded.

"Your slip, it's showing," replied Gertrude as she motioned to the helm of Odie's skirt.

"Was that showing the entire time Major Hochstetter was here?" Odie replied with a touch of alarm in his voice.

"I am afraid so. Word is out now, Odie. You are just a cheap floozy."

Both Odie and Gertrude began to laugh, grateful for the relief in tension that the Major had brought with him. When they had finished laughing a sobering thought occurred to Gertrude. "I wonder why Mama didn't answer the door."

"Maybe she has good taste or maybe she simply had dozed off and did not hear him."

Gertrude considered the small whimpering dog in her arms. "Maybe, but it is not like Drei to leave her. She hand feeds this dog. He never leaves her side. I have a bad feeling. I do not want to go inside."

"I think you may be inviting trouble. I'm sure everything is fine."

With hesitant steps, Gertrude walked toward the back door, followed closely by Odie. Her hand shook as she turned the doorknob. As she opened the door, the dog began to fidget and his whimpers turned to a mournful whine. Stepping into the kitchen, she could see her mother sitting in the living room. The radio played softly next to her.

"See," whispered Odie, "she is sleeping."

Gertrude took a step and stopped. "M-Mama?" When there was no answer, she set the dog down on the floor, never taking her eyes off her mother. Straightening up, she said in a slightly louder voice, "Mama, a-are you a-awake?" There was no movement or response. She could hear the clicking of Drei's nails on the linoleum as he hurried to his mistress's side. Sitting at her feet, he began to howl desolately. Gertrude tried to move but she felt as if her feet were encased in cement. Odie brushed past her and checked Frau Burkhalter's pulse. He looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the truth of the moment. Gertrude crumbled onto the kitchen floor and began to cry. Odie sat down next to his friend and held her as she cried her heart out into his faux bosom. When there seemed to be no more tears left in Gertrude, Odie got up and made the phone call to General Burkhalter.

Sitting there on the kitchen floor, Gertrude felt lost and alone. She thought she was ready for her mother's passing. Her mother was eighty and her health had not been good for several years now. She had thought herself prepared for this moment. However, the reality of it was, no matter how hard you tried to prepare yourself, it is always a shock when death finally comes.

Somewhere in the mental fog she had fallen into, she realized her hand was wet and glanced down at it to see the sad eyes of Drei as he licked her hand. Gently she picked him up and sat him in her lap. He placed his head on her arm and stared up at her forlornly. Burying her face into the small dog's neck, she began to cry again.

**Next: Watch the Trains Go By**

_a/n:_

_Malmö is a city on the southern tip of Sweden, which was a neutral country during the war._

_V-man was slang for an undercover Gestapo agent._

_Yes, Gertrude's dream was a shout out to all the FFN writers whose stories I enjoy so much._

_Dreibeinigen means three-legged, drei =three and bein = bone/leg. (Thank you my friend Ken Malloy, who lives in Schönau, Bayern, Germany, for your assistance.)_

_ 1 kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds so the dog weighed approximately ten pounds._


	10. WTTGB:The Letter

**Watch the Trains Go By: The Letter**

Gertrude looked across the room at her brother and frowned. He had come to check on her welfare or so he said. In reality, he had come to, once again, attempt to sway her and bend her will to his own. That was Albert in a nutshell, the master manipulator. Gertrude was aware that all his plotting and planning came from the deep love he had for her but he was becoming one giant coccydynia. She had stopped listening to his garrulous lecture on her need to marry an hour ago. Rolling her eyes, she let out a sigh. In a vain attempt to get her emotions in check, she began silently reciting the Beatitudes.

"Are you listening to me?" Albert's bellow broke into her thoughts.

"Every word," she lied.

"I am serious Gertrude, you need to marry. With Mama gone and Lotte having to go to work at the ammunition factory in Hammelburg, you do not need to be alone."

"Lotte is only gone because you made her leave," she complained.

"She has to do her part for the Fatherland. If she is not going to marry and bear children, then she has help with the labor shortage. Besides, she is working in the office and not on the assembly line."

"It is still dangerous, with all the sabotage in the area." Gertrude sat down on the couch and studied the pattern in the rug. She was aware that Albert had pulled many strings to get Lotte such a comfortable job but still, it was risky and Gertrude feared for her daughter.

"Security has been increased. She is safe enough."

"Safe enough," Gertrude echoed. "What does that mean?"

"It means she is as safe as anyone can be in this war," Albert countered. "The last thing any of us needs is any activity that draws unwanted attention to us."

She gave a soft sad sigh and looked up at her brother. "I wish we could just say what is on our minds. Do you remember when we were children? We could tell each other everything and anything. What happened to us?"

"We grew up, that's what happened."

"No, it's this war," she countered. "It has changed us all and not for the better. Our so called Leader has brought us to the brink of destruction."

"Careful Gertrude," Albert said quietly, glancing about the room. "The walls have ears."

"I don't care. I want to scream it from the roof what happened to Otto. I hate living this lie."

"Otto died at the Eastern Front. That is what happened to him. Nothing more, nothing less," he replied with a hard edge to his voice.

"He died a hero but not for the German war machine!"

"Shut up! I do not want to hear any more of this. If you want to destroy yourself so be it; but you will not drag me down with you," he declared, grabbing his cap and marching to the door. Albert threw the door open only to reveal Major Hochstetter standing there posed to knock.

Fear clutched at Gertrude's heart, squeezing it until she thought she would pass out. _How much did he hear_? Albert stood there staring at the man with a disgusted sneer on his face.

"Ah, you're both here. That saves me a trip into Hammelburg," replied Hochstetter with false cheer.

"What do you want Major?" Albert growled menacingly at the man.

"I know with the funeral of Frau Burkhalter, Frau Linkmeyer has not had a chance to come in as promised to discuss her kidnapping," Hochstetter replied as his gaze wandered over to where Gertrude was sitting.

"Cannot this be done at another time?" Albert replied while still barring the black demon's entrance into the cottage.

"Trails grow cold quickly General. I will try and make this as painless as possible."

"Let him in and let's get this over with," Gertrude replied in a weary voice. Albert grimaced and then stepped aside to allow the odious man to enter. Setting his cap back down on the hall tree, Albert watched as Hochstetter crossed the room to where Gertrude was sitting.

"Let me say again Frau Linkmeyer how sorry I am for your loss. It seems your family has been plagued by bereavement," the Major said with an affected look of sympathy that did not reach his eyes. In fact, to Gertrude they seem to dance with satisfaction.

"Thank-you Major. Now how can I help you?" she said, as she tried to summon the civility she did not feel. Every fiber of her being wanted to reach up and claw his lying eyes out. She thought she could smell the rotting stench of death on him but knew that was just her imagination. Every day he drew a breath was a personal affront to her. She turned and looked away, afraid she was unable to mask the hatred she felt for him. She felt tears stinging the back of her eyes as the room grew hot and her face became flushed.

"Have I said something to upset you?" Hochstetter asked.

"No, of course not," Gertrude said turning back to face him. "It's just been a long day and I find myself missing my mother."

"So it has nothing to do with your argument with your brother?" Gertrude opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out. She felt her heart hammering in her chest and was sure the Major could hear it.

"What I and my sister discuss in the privacy of our homes is family business and none of your concern," Albert thundered from his station by the door.

Hochstetter turned and smiled at the General. "I meant no disrespect….Herr General," he said as he hooked his thumbs into his belt. He looked around the room and under various pieces of furniture.

"Looking for something in particular?" Albert asked.

"The dog, where is he?" Hochstetter asked nervously.

"In Mama's room, he rarely leaves it. I think he is waiting for her to come back," replied Gertrude.

"Can we get on with this Major?" Albert asked with a touch of impatience in his voice.

"Yes, of course," Hochstetter said, turning his attention back to Gertrude. "The men who stopped you on the road, what did they look like?"

"One was medium height and the other was shorter. Both were wearing Luftwaffe uniforms," replied Gertrude.

"Any other details you remember?"

"It happened so fast and it was dark out. There was only the moon for light."

"And the voice on the phone?"

"Ordinary, nothing stands out in my mind, Major."

"What about where you were held? Any details you might have remembered since our last conversation?"

"Sorry no, all I remember is I was held in a hotel room in Dusseldorf. There didn't seem to be anything remarkable about it."

"What about the man who held you there?" Hochstetter asked his growing irritation evident in his voice.

"He let slip his name was Heinrich and he worked for the hotel. That is all I know."

"Did anyone mention Papa Bear or Maria Hoffman?"

"They mentioned they were trading me for her. Who or what is a Papa Bear?"

"Hochstetter thinks the infamous saboteur, Papa Bear, is our Colonel Hogan," Albert replied. His expression clearly expressed his derisive opinion of the Major's theory. "My sister would have no knowledge of such things."

Hochstetter turned and addressed the General. "I know I am right. One day I will prove it and crush the resistance. Unlike some, I am a loyal German who takes great pleasure seeing our enemies ground under our boots."

"And who in this room do you consider a disloyal German?" Albert asked in a menacing tone that not only was an implicit warning but a dare for the Major to speak his mind. Hochstetter shifted nervously. For the first time Gertrude saw a flicker of fear in the Gestapo man's eye.

"Of course I wasn't speaking of anyone in this room, Herr General," Hochstetter replied in a condescending tone.

"Good," Albert shot back, "I would hate to have to call my friend Himmler. A certain Major might find himself a Schütze on his way to the Eastern Campaign."

"There is no need for that, General," Hochstetter chuckled nervously. "I am sorry if my meaning was misunderstood."

"If that is all Major, I suggest you leave. Gertrude has answered all your questions."

"Very good General," replied Hochstetter. He faced Gertrude and gave a half bow while clicking his heels together. "Thank you for your cooperation, Gnädig Frau. Good day."

As Hochstetter turned to leave, his foot hit her foraging basket sitting next to the nearby chair. Frowning he toed the basket and looked up at an unsettled Gertrude.

"Pardon me but it seems your basket is much heavier than the herbs inside it should be. What is in it?"

_Ordure!_ Gertrude thought to herself. _I forgot that was there. _"Just some mushrooms, chicory and wild strawberries."

Hochstetter frowned and tapped the basket again with his boot. "It seems to weight about five kilograms. It seems you have a lot of weeds you have in there."

Gertrude stood up and looked Hochstetter in the eye. "Just what are you accusing me of Major?"

"Just curious about your basket. Do you mind if I look in it?" he said reaching down for it.

Gertrude snatched the basket away from him and opened the hinged top. Shoving it under his nose she said, "See Major, just wild plants I have picked for dinner tonight. Satisfied?"

"Let me just look through the contents," Hochstetter said, once again reaching for the basket. Gertrude quickly snapped the lid shut, almost catching the Major's fingers in the process.

"Just what do you suspect me of? I am a widow trying to live the best I can with the limited resources I have. Do you think that I am this Papa Bear or some temptress spy like Margaretha Geertruida? Really? Perhaps I should drop my drawers and let you inspect them for a hidden radio. You know my garters get great reception. Perhaps you would like to check my brassiere for a codebook. I think I have a map of the Panzer Divisions movements embroidered on my slip. " Gertrude paused and took a breath. Taking a step towards Hochstetter, she found herself nose to nose with him. "Listen to me you microphallus moron. I am the widow of a Leutnant General, the sister of a General and the daughter of a War Hero who gave his life in the last war. I suggest you remember who you are speaking to."

Through his clenched teeth Hochstetter replied, "I know exactly who I am speaking to."

"If you have nothing but 'why is her basket heavy', I suggest you leave Major. I will be reporting this incident to your superiors," Albert said.

"Fine," he muttered. Hochstetter turned as to leave but then turned back to Gertrude. "I forgot Gnädig Frau," he said reaching into his pocket and pulled out a letter. "I took the liberty of bringing this inside for you."

Gertrude took the letter from him and glanced at the envelope. "This letter has been opened."

He smiled a smile that did not quite reach his eyes and shrugged one shoulder. "Nothing seems to be safe from prying eyes. I would take care to remember that. "

Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the cottage.

"You play a dangerous game Gertrude. Pray it does not come back to haunt you like some people I could mention." Albert placed his cap on his head and left without further comment.

Gertrude sank down onto the sofa and put her head into her hands. She was growing careless. To leave the battery the underground had gotten her for her B2 radio out in the open was criminally stupid. She began to shake when she realized how close she came to being exposed. If she had any doubt about Hochstetter's suspicions, she did not now. She realized she needed to clean house and get rid of all the incriminating evidence. She glanced at the telephone on the table but hesitated to call Odie, the line maybe be tapped. She would have to wait until his next scheduled contact. Luckily, that would be tomorrow.

She looked down at the opened letter in her hand. She noticed it was from Wilhelm. _When did I begin to think of him as Wilhelm?_ She pondered the thought as she attempted to smooth the creases from the envelope. Opening the letter, she began to read it.

_Dear Frau Linkmeyer:_

_I want to express how wonderful your last visit to our little Stalag was. Your presence brightens up this dull and lifeless place. The thought of you visiting us again is downright intoxicating. You make me feel like a thirsty drunkard and so my dear Gertrude, if I may call you by your first name; it would give me great pleasure for you to visit our little Stalag again with your brother, the General. Perhaps we could be alone so I could tell you things I could not tell you on your last trip. Please do not make me wait long._

_With Great Admiration,_

_Wilhelm M. Klink_

Gertrude frowned. This was not from Klink. It could not be, could it? Or was it Papa Bear using her for another one of his little scams? She felt so lonely and afraid. Gertrude decided to take a chance and go with Albert on his next inspection. She felt a little excitement inside and decided it was just the puzzle of finding out who was Papa Bear. Could Hochstetter be right? She smiled. The visit was going to be exciting, one way or another and she was looking forward to it.

**Next: Watch the Trains Go By: The Meeting**

_a/n:_

_I do not see Gertrude as someone who would use profanity but would instead come up with a creative equivalent instead. Coccydynia is a medical term for pain in the coccyx or tailbone. Ordure: 1. Excrement; dung. 2. Something regarded as vile or abhorrent. Microphallus: if you cannot figure out what this is, look it up. I have to draw the line somewhere, don't I?_

_Schütze was the lowest rank of private (E-1) in the SS._

_What the Allies called The Russian Front is known in Germany as the Eastern Front (die Ostfront), the Eastern Campaign (der Ostfeldzug) or the Russian Campaign (der Rußlandfeldzug)._

_Margaretha Geertruida aka Mata Hari_

_The B2 or Type 3 Mk2 spy set was developed by Major John Brown (then Captain) in 1942 and replaced an earlier version, the A Mk 3. With at least sixty feet of Aerial and a good Earth, a range of 1000 miles was achievable. One of the features was the power supply, which could operate from 120 or 240-volt mains or a 6-volt car battery. It could be dropped by air in watertight cases (often concealed in rivers or lakes) or worn as a backpack._


	11. WTTGB: The Meeting

**Watch the Trains Go By: The Meeting**

Gertrude entered Albert's office and placed a file on his desk. She had noted from the supply requisition forms there was some kind of secret factory ten miles south of Hammelburg. She would need Odie and his people to check it out and gather more information for possible sabotage or bombing. Her conscience gave her more than a few mental pangs. She knew any action against the factory would entail a high cost of human lives. On the other hand, if she did nothing the cost could even be more. Still, as a wife and mother she had great difficulty not thinking about the children whose parents would not be coming home due to her actions. For a brief moment, she envisioned Lotte caught in a bombing firestorm. She felt her knees go weak and thought she might pass out. Luckily, the feeling passed quickly and she was able to regain her equilibrium.

Albert had barely glanced up when she had entered the room. He had not spoken to her for several days now and she was somewhat hesitant about bringing up her desire to accompany him on his next trip to Stalag XIII. His silence was his way of censoring her regarding her underground activities. She wondered how much he suspected. The silence that had developed between them was like a wall and she did not think all the dynamite in Germany would be able to bring it down. With her heart breaking, she turned and started back towards her the outer office.

"Gertrude, I want to talk to you," said a weary voice behind her.

Slowly she turned back to face her brother. She wondered if he had finally made up his mind to denounce her to the Gestapo. It would be the wisest thing to do. If a third party caught her, things could get very ugly for him. He could even share her fate, something she dreaded more than the loss of her own life. She opened her mouth to answer him but the words would not come. Instead, she remained mute, her distress reflected in the unconscious wringing of her hands.

Albert leaned back in his chair and regarded her for a moment. He looked tired and Gertrude wondered when the last time he had gotten a good night's sleep was.

"Things cannot go on as the have been," he began. "You are my baby sister and it is my job to protect you."

"I am a grown woman. I don't need your protection."

"Don't you?"

Gertrude remained silent and waited for him to continue.

Albert pushed away from the desk and stood up. Coming around the side of the desk, he stood next to his sister. "I don't know what to do with you. You, Freda and Lotte are all I have. Can you not understand your behavior threatens all of that?"

"I noticed you didn't mention Berta," Gertrude half whispered.

"Bertha is not a concern of yours. We have an understanding."

"And what would that understanding be?" Gertrude asked, unable to meet her brother's intense gaze.

"I do as I please and she continues to reap the benefits of being the wife of a General."

"That sounds so lonely Albert. Is that the kind of marriage you want for me?"

Albert gave a low exasperated sigh and began to pace the room. "Of course not. More than anything, I want you to have a happy life."

"Under some man's thumb not being able to think for myself, do for myself? What kind of life is that?"

The General stopped his pacing and clasped his hands behind his back. He frowned at his highly polished jackboots and for a moment said nothing. Then quietly, almost under his breath he replied," It's better than the alternative."

"So it's a life of unfulfilled slavery or no life at all. Is that it?"

"In these times, the answer is an unfortunate yes," Albert said in a regretful tone.

Tears burned her eyes but Gertrude attempted to hold them back. It would be a cold day in the Sahara before she would give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. She turned to leave the office but her vision was blurred and she stumbled on the leg of a chair sitting next to the door. Before she knew what was happening, she crashed into the closed door and slid down to the floor. Albert rushed over to his sister, bent down and attempted to help her to her feet.

"Stop, give me a minute to catch my breath," Gertrude said placing her hand on her brother's chest.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I think I just bruised my pride. I…." Gertrude abruptly broke off what she had been about to say and stared at the chair she had tripped over.

"You are hurt, aren't you?"

"Gertrude could hear the alarm in her brother's voice. She placed her fingertips on his mouth, signaling him to be quiet and then removed them and pointed at the chair. Albert looked and it and then back at her. His brows formed a V as he looked at her perplexed.

Silently she mouthed the words _listening device_ to him. She watched him as his eyes got wide with understanding. He nodded and then helped her to her feet.

"I think you should be checked out by a doctor to make sure nothing is broken. Let me help you to the car. I will have the driver take us to Herr Doctor Bäcker and he can check you out."

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I still feel a little dizzy," Gertrude said going along with Albert's ruse.

Albert escorted her to the waiting staff car and helped her inside. Sitting next to her, he ordered his personal driver, Unterfeldwebel Gersdorff, to drive to the country. He motioned for Gertrude to remain quiet. In silence, they rode side by side. She watched as the variegated shadows from the trees danced intricately across the windshield. Once they had gotten several miles out of town, the General ordered Gersdorff to stop the car and to take a walk until summoned back. Wordless the Unterfeldwebel exited the vehicle and began walking down the side of the road.

"We are alone. We can talk now," Albert said to Gertrude.

"But what about your driver?" Gertrude asked.

"Gersdorff has been my driver since Operation Barbarossa. He knows which side his bread is buttered. He will keep quiet."

"Someone is spying on you Albert," Gertrude said as she reached over and clutched the sleeve of her brother's uniform.

"Hochstetter, no doubt," replied Albert with his mouth set as if he had just swallowed something very unpleasant.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, since I now know what he is up to it will be easy to orchestrate what is said in my office. He will only hear what I want him to hear." Albert smiled and gave a soft chuckle.

"What is so funny?

"I am going to move the chair and place it in front of my desk," he replied, still chuckling. "Then whenever I have someone in my office they will sit in that chair."

"What will that accomplish?" Gertrude asked.

"Nothing but it delights me to think of people sitting on Hochstetter, even if it is only metaphorically. Besides, with them sitting there he will be unable to listen in on my conversations and there isn't anything he can do about it without him showing his hand."

"He could just sneak in and put it somewhere else."

"Not after I increase security. Besides even if he did, I still know there is a listening device somewhere in the room and will take the necessary precautions."

"Yes that is good. No wonder you made General. I knew it could not be due to your looks," Gertrude said patting his hand and looking up at him with an open smile.

"Nice," he said tightly but without rancor. "But that isn't the reason I brought you out here. I wanted to continue our conversation about your second job." Gertrude opened her mouth to reply but he raised his hand and cut her off. "I am not a fool; do not treat me as one. I cannot prove what you are up to Gertrude but someone, somewhere will. Stop whatever it is you are doing. Stop it now while there is still time."

"No."

"What do you mean no?" Albert said turning a peculiar shade of red.

"As far as you are concerned, I am your secretary, loyal to the fatherland, a model German citizen doing what she can for the war effort."

"Why are you doing this and do not tell me it is about Otto. Otto played and lost. Leave it alone Gertrude."

"Leave it alone? I cannot. I know what happened to him Albert. What really happened and I know you know what happened too. So let's just for once, stop pretending." Gertrude clutched her hands together as her nails bit into her skins forming little crescent shaped lines of blood.

"What do you think you know?"

"That Otto was already dead before the Second Battle of Kharkov and not at Soviet hands," replied Gertrude.

"Really, you do have an overactive imagination. Who told you this?"

"Stop denying it. I have seen the pictures Albert," she said as the tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Your husband went missing and he is presumed dead. I do not know where you got these fanciful ideas but they are dangerous. If not for me, then for Lotte, stop this nonsense."

"I love you more than I could ever tell you but there are times I truly despise you. Please take me home now," Gertrude said through the tears.

General Burkhalter called Gersdorff back to the car and a within a few minutes she found herself at her own front door. She pulled the door handle to open the door and started to exit the car. Albert grabbed her arm. "Please Gerti, think about it," he whispered

Without turning to face him she replied, "Do I come to work tomorrow or stay home?"

"You will always have a job for as long as you want it," he replied.

"Thank you," she choked out and went inside the house. She watched from the window as her brother drove off. Her cheeks felt chapped from her tears. She sank down into the nearest chair and stayed there for several hours, even after it had grown dark in the cottage. Emotionally exhausted, she went to bed without bothering to fix anything for supper.

The next day she was back at work. Lost in her own thoughts she did not immediately notice the uniform standing in front of her. When she finally took notice, she saw the person standing in front of her was Klink. He tried to smile at her but he looked like he was in pain instead.

"Oberst Klink," she said acknowledging the fidgeting man standing in front of her. "How can I help you?"

"I have an appointment with the General, Frau Linkmeyer," Klink replied. She checked the General's calendar and there was the appointment. She wondered how in the world she had forgotten it. Looking back up at Klink she said, "I will inform the General you are here."

"And do not forget to inform him that I am here too, Gnädig Frau." Hochestetter's harsh inflection of the last two words told her that she was anything but a lady to him. She glanced at Klink and saw extreme dislike on his face. She also saw fear.

"Major Hochstetter, I did not know you would be here," Klink replied with forced civility.

"Anywhere you go Klink, I go. Who else will clean up the messes you make," Hochstetter growled.

Klink gave a nervous laugh and cowered a bit. "Well no one could do it any better than you, Major."

"Bah, Imbecile!" Hochstetter said as he waved his hand in a dismissive fashion.

Suddenly the General's door opened and Burkhalter stepped out. "Do you two plan to have a social gathering out here or did you come to do some actual business?"

"Oh business Herr General," Klink said with a certain groveling quality to it. Hochstetter on the other hand said nothing. Instead, he pushed past Klink and stormed into the General's office. Klink meekly followed behind. The General looked at his sister and rolled his eyes before going back into his office.

After about an hour, the General's door flew open and Hochstetter came out muttering what sounded like obscenities under his breath. Gertrude was not sure but she thought he was questioning the legality of Klink's parents' marriage. In the end, it did not matter. Hochstetter stormed past her without a second glance, for which she was grateful.

Shortly after the Major's departure, Klink came out of the office looking like a Schutzstaffel stealing milk from an infant. "Things went well?"

The shine faded a little from Klink but just as quickly, it returned. "The General has agreed to my proposal regarding the effective distribution of supplies," he gushed.

"That is impressive Herr Oberst," Gertrude replied.

"Yes it is," he replied. The only problem is the Major does not think it will work. He is just waiting for me to fail so he can rub my face in it."

Gertrude stood up and walked over to where Klink was standing. Reaching up she patted the rank on his collar. "My Otto use to tell me 'either you wear your rank or you lose it.'"

"I do not understand," Klink replied looking slightly befuddled.

"In other words, Major Hochstetter does not have to respect you as an individual but he must respect the rank you carry. It is up to you to make him respect your rank, until then he will continue to treat you as an inferior."

"I think I understand."

"Good," she said as she lightly patted his chest. She moved past him to return to her desk. As he started to leave, she said over her shoulder, "It will be nice seeing you again on Albert's next visit to the camp."

"What?" Klink said, clearly startled by Gertrude's remark. "Next visit? Oh yes…..it will be nice to see you again…too…nice."

Gertrude turned and looked at him. Klink looked as if he had just swallowed a double dose of cod-liver oil. _Well I guess that confirms the author of the letter_, she thought to herself. _The ball is in motion Papa Bear. I hope you got your game face on._

**Next: Watch the Trains Go By: Dinner**

_a/n:_

_The ball bearing factory is from "Is there a Traitor in the House?" _

_The listening device in General Burkhalter's chair and the meeting are from "The Purchasing Plan."_


	12. WTTGB:The Dinner

**Watch the Trains Go By: The Dinner**

"_The way I look at it is we're not losing a camp Kommandant; we're gaining an underground agent."_

_~~Peter Newkirk, Gowns by Yvette~~_

Gertrude woke up with a headache, sore throat and unable to breath properly. _Stupid pollen_, she thought to herself, _stupid sinuses_. Dragging herself to her vanity, she looked into the mirror and realized she did not look like herself. She was pale, almost ghostly white. Her eyes were puffy and watery. She felt as if someone had hit her in the face with an axe. The whole room seemed to spin under her feet. This must have been what Alice felt like when she fell down the rabbit hole. Sitting down on the stool with a thump, she considered her options. Either she could stay home and nurse her sinus infection or she can go with her brother to Stalag XIII. With Papa Bear's plot in motion there was no way she could stay home. She decided she needed to form a spy union and campaign for sick days. After all, what kind of person accepts a job that does not give health benefits?

Getting up, she stumbled into the kitchen. She fed the cast iron stove its morning ration of coal and set the сafetière à piston on the stove to heat up. She also put a pan of water on the stove and stood over it as the steam helped her to breathe easier. Pouring herself a half cup of Getreidekaffee, she placed a teaspoon of her precious turnip sugar into the hot liquid and slowly stirred. She nibbled on a piece of toast she had made from the stale bread after carefully cutting the mold from it. She gave an internal sigh and wished she had a bit of butter or marmalade to go with it.

Neither the steam nor her breakfast did much to improve her headache. Unable to find any aspirin in the house, she decided to grit her teeth and bear it. She was sure they would have something at the camp, if only she lived long enough to get there.

Albert and his driver arrived at the appointed time. After helping her into the car, they began to make their way to the camp. She did not listen to his ongoing prattle about what a good husband Klink would make. In fact, she if the Gestapo was to interrogate her by shoving wood splinters under her nails, she would still be unable to relay to them what he had said to her during the trip. The only thing she heard of the conversation was his pauses, at which time she would reply_ yes_ or _u-huh_. She was too worried about the potholes to care about anything else. Every time the driver hit one, it felt like her brain was going to fall out of her head and roll down the road.

She was never as happy as when they arrived at the Stalag. She tried to paste a smile on her face as the car pulled up in front of the Kommandantur. Klink, with his usual inappropriately effervescent greetings, was waiting for them to exit out of the vehicle.

"Welcome General Burkhalter, this is a great pleasure to see you," Klink said.

"You remember my sister, of course," Albert replied.

"Of course, a great pleasure."" came the dejected reply,

"Good day," Gertrude said with a forced cheerfulness. The problems with her watering eyes made it look as if she had winked at him. For a moment, she thought Klink was going to swallow his monocle. If she had not felt so poorly she would have laughed right there and then. Did he really think she was so forward with a man she did not even call by his first name?

Gertrude told Albert and Klink she was going to the VIP quarters to unpack and freshen up while they conducted camp business. As soon as they were out of hearing range, she asked Schultz for some aspirin and camphor. The good-natured Oberfeldwebel said he would go to the infirmary and see what supplies were available. Thanking him, she set off for her quarters with the driver carrying her bags following behind.

Schultz quickly returned with the requested items. He explained to Gertrude that the only camphor available was for sore muscles. She told him it would be sufficient for her needs and dismissed him. She took the aspirin and placed some of the liquid under her nose. She felt her upper lip heat up and then it started to burn. Despite the discomfiture, the medicine did open her sinuses and helped her to breath. Pulling closed the curtains in her room; she laid down on the bed hoping it was enough for her to feel better.

Her headache had lessened to a dull ache when she heard a light tapping at the outer door. Getting up she walked into the living room and opened the door. She was surprised to see Leutnant Bergman standing in the doorway with a covered tray.

"The Kommandant wanted to make sure you had a nice lunch. He said to tell you the General will be eating with him in the Officer's mess but will join you for dinner tonight."

"Thank you Leutnant. You can put the tray on the table," she said, indicating the dining room table near the kitchen door. She glanced around the courtyard to make sure no one was paying any undue attention to what was going on in the VIP quarters. Satisfied all was well, she closed the door and turned to address the young man.

"Are you sure no one will question why you are here? It must seem strange for an officer to be delivering meals," Gertrude asked.

"No, I think the Kommandant was so relieved when I suggested he and the General eat with the other officers, for morale purposes of course, and I bring you your lunch, that he didn't question it."

Gertrude smiled at him. How young he looked. Of course, she knew Bergman was a husband and a father but somehow she could not believe he was not still in short pants. He looked too young to shave, let alone be in the Luftwaffe.

"That's' good Paul," she said crossing the room to look at what he had brought her. Lifting the lid she saw the tray contained a tureen of Spargelsuppe mit Weisswein, a loaf of Kartoffelbrot, and some real coffee. "The Kommandant knows how to live."

"I think he is trying to keep you here and not underfoot. The General is checking the supply requisitions and asking questions I don't think the Kommandant wants to answer."

Getting a couple of cups, bowls and some silverware from the cabinet, Gertrude set the table for lunch and then indicated Bergman should join her. "What do you know of Papa Bear Paul?"

Bergman frowned in thought and then replied, "I've heard the name of course. Every time that Gestapo Major comes into camp, the name invariably comes up. For some reason he thinks this saboteur is Colonel Hogan. Impossible of course, Hogan is a prisoner."

"So you don't think Colonel Hogan could possibly be this underground agent?" Gertrude asked while slicing the bread.

"I do not see how. Oh, he is smart enough to be sure. Colonel Hogan is very crafty and if any prisoner could pull something like that off, it would be him. I just cannot see how he or anyone else could do it."

"Hmm," said Gertrude as she ladled the hot soup into the bowls. "Do you have any news for me?"

"I received word Herr Weidner was arrested by the Gestapo. Do not worry, he escaped and with our help was able to make it to Switzerland."

"I am relieved to hear that but saddened at the loss of such a valued agent," replied Gertrude. She waited for Bergman to finish grace before she continued. "It has been some time since Fräulein Weidner's arrest, have we been able to arrange her escape?"

"Unfortunately no, Herr Weidner's sister has been sent to Ravensbrück."

"So there is no hope for her, is there?" Gertrude said staring into her soup.

"Not unless she finds some way to escape. There is no way for us to get her out."

"Sometimes I feel so ineffectual," Gertrude said morosely.

"I do have some good news though. We have been able to get some the Fremdarbeiters at the tire factory in Magdeburg to begin a slowdown and the German workers in Cologne are in the streets protesting working conditions."

"That is good Paul, but we need to keep the pressure on the Government. This war has to end before there is no one and nothing left. Contact Sanskrit in Belgium and have him move the printing press. We need to keep printing those pamphlets giving updates on the war. That is the only way we are going to give the people the courage to continue to resist this despotic regime."

"Amen," Bergman replied softly. Setting his spoon down, he looked at Gertrude. "Are you finished eating? I need to take these dishes back to the kitchen."

"Yes, I am finished. Thank you for the wonderful meal," she said smiling at the young man. Not only had it been tasty and filling but also it had the added effect of helping her with her headache. She still did not feel like herself but she was much better than when she had awakened this morning.

The day passed quickly into the evening. She had been waiting expectantly hoping of some clue as to what Papa Bear expected of her. She was still as confused as when she first received the letter. Dinner arrived before her brother and the Kommandant. Schultz and a Langenscheidt set out a nice platter of Gebratener Rehrücken with Apfelmus and Blaukraut. With it came a large loaf of Kartoffelbrot and a nice Pflaumenkuhen for dessert. Coffee, real coffee, brandy and wine was to accompany the dinner. No wonder Albert was scrutinizing the requisitions; Klink was living like a king. Gertrude frowned with displeasure and thought about how many people were on the brink of starvation_. I think it is time to teach my favorite Kommandant a lesson_. _Now what would scare him the most?_ She thought, smiling to herself.

Langenscheidt left to finish his KP duty, leaving Schultz there to act as waiter. Shortly after the Obergefreiter's departure, Klink and Albert arrived. Both were famished and wanted to eat immediately. While hungry herself, she found it difficult to eat such extravagance. Neither Klink nor Albert seemed to notice and both ate with exuberance, so little conversation occurred during the course of the meal. To Gertrude's chagrin, Albert became excessively chatty after the meal was finished.

"I was reviewing my schedule and found it had been a while since my last inspection. When I mentioned to Gertrude she needed to send you a note advising of my coming, she didn't say anything about accompanying me," Burkhalter said. "I was packing and Gertrude just announced she was coming along."

She felt like kicking Albert under the table for giving Klink the wrong idea but also pleased. Klink's punishment for his over indulgence was about to begin. She felt a wicked shiver flow through her. Smiling she said to Klink, "So here I am."

"I couldn't be happier," Klink said looking as if the opposite was the truth. "Frau Linkmeyer, you couldn´t be more welcome as the General himself. We will give you the very best we have here at Stalag XIII."

She did not miss the real meaning of his statement. She glanced at her brother but apparently, the back-handled compliment had gone unnoticed._ Oh, this is going to be too easy_, Gertrude thought as she mentally rubbed her hands together as the villains did in the cinema.

"Nice way to treat a lady," Albert said chuckling over his own joke.

Really, her brother could be quite insufferable. "Albert!" Gertrude said.

Ignoring the warning tone in her voice, Burkhalter continued, "On the way here my dear sister kept talking about you."

_Liar!_

"About me?" replied Klink, "What is there to say?"

"The conversation didn't last too long," she shot back. The look on Klink's face told her words had hit the target.

"I'm flattered," a deflated Klink replied.

"What is the magic you have, Klink?" Burkhalter asked Klink, still unaware of the subtext exchanged between Klink and Gertrude. "You seem to grow on people.'

"Albert, you make him sound like some kind of a fungus," Gertrude replied, trying to get him to stop his match making. While she wanted to give Klink a little payback, she did not want her brother to get the wrong idea. She could only put her plan in motion once they were alone together.

"Ha ha ha, a fungus." laughed Schultz from his position by Klink.

"Schultz…." Klink admonished through clenched teeth.

"Excuse me Herr Kommandant," Schultz replied softly.

"More brandy for the General and Frau Linkmeyer, please," Klink said in an obvious attempt at changing the subject.

"Yes Herr Kommandant," replied Schultz as he set about his ordered task.

"Just a little," she said as she watched the NCO pour more brandy into her glass. "Enough. Thank-you."

Schultz approached Burkhalter but he stopped him before he began to pour. ""Not for me; I´m a bit tired. Anyway, I can imagine you two young people would like to be alone." Klink jumped to his feet as the General stood up. To Gertrude, Klink appeared to be in a near panic at the thought of spending time alone with her and began to babble. Good thing she had a healthy sense of self-worth or his actions could really sting. "Young people? I don´t see any young people."

"Goodnight, Albert," Gertrude said to hurry her brother along.

Not willing to just say, good night and leave, Albert bowed to his sister and gave her a knowing smirk. "Goodnight, Gertrude and as the French say: _bonne chance_. Turning to Klink, Burkhalter added,"That means good luck."

The word 'fratricide' flitted through Gertrude's thoughts. ""He is terrible," Gertrude said in the beginning of an apology to Klink but he was not paying any attention to her so she fell silent. She watched as he ordered Schultz to stay with him. Apparently Albert had remembered they were not alone and ordered Schultz to help him with his boots. She got up from the table and sat down on the nearby sofa.

"Well, here we are," she said to Klink in an effort to get him to concentrate on her and not on his lost chaperone.

Klink slowly turned and faced her. He looked like Faust did as the Devil appeared in front of him to claim his soul. "Indeed we are. We are here. There is no question about that," he stammered.

"I remember that about you...a brilliant conversationalist," pricked by his attitude. Instead of replying, Klink just gave her a slack-jawed stare. Exasperated she attempted to engage him once again. "Now that we are alone, what is it you wanted to say to me Wilhelm?" He blinked a flustered look at her. _Good at least I have his attention now._

"Thank-you," Klink said absently.

"Wilhelm? My first name?" he croaked.

_Why not_, she thought_. You thought I was bold enough to wink at you in the compound, why not go all the way with this farce._ "If it´s Gertrude, then it should be Wilhelm," she said, knowing he had no idea to what she was referring.

"Of course, you cannot call me Gertrude, because that is your name... if you know what I mean," he laughed nervously.

"What is it you want to say to me, Wilhelm?" she said in an attempt to hurry him along.

"Well now, let me see… I have offered you more brandy... We have straightened out the name business," he looked at her with a helpless look. She was beginning to understand Papa Bear's perverse sense of humor as she watched Klink squirm under her gaze.

"You remind me of my first husband, Otto. He was shy, too." It was nothing short of a bald-faced lie. Otto had been the very antithesis of shyness. She had birthed three children to prove it. In a move that shocked her, she reached up and pulled Klink down to sit next to her on the couch. "Sit down," she commanded.

"Well, you see, a soldier like I, is more at home in the rough company of men at the battlefield..." Klink began; looking like that is where he wished he was right now.

Gertrude almost burst out laughing. Surely, he must know, as Albert's secretary she knew his military history like the back of her hand. "Good," she said, slapping his leg and enjoying the horrified look on his face. "I'll handle this."

"I'm sure you will," Klink muttered under his breath. As if a certain realization had suddenly hit him, he looked at her and in an anxious tone said, "Handle what?"

"I realize that I am not the most beautiful, the most fascinating woman in the world..." she began.

"That's true," Klink replied.

She shot him a look that would have quelled any other man. Klink on the other hand seemed totally oblivious to his many social faux pas. "You don´t need to agree with me so quickly, Wilhelm!"

"No offense, Gnädige Frau," Klink quickly interjected.

_That is better_. "Gertrude," she reminded him.

"That's right, Gertrude," he quickly agreed.

"I know I am going to make a certain man very happy. Make a good wife to him, just what he needs," she replied, baiting the trap.

"Oh, there is no question about that in my mind! Congratulations!" Klink gushed. For a moment, she imagined he really was happy for her. It was a fleeting thought but it made her feel rather warm towards him.

"Thank-you."

"Who is the lucky man? Do I know him?"

"Oh you know him well." She smiled and tapped his cheek, "Don't be coy."

"Oh I am not trying to be coy, I..I.." Gertrude could see the realization dawn on Klink as to who was getting married. "Me?"

She smiled and sweetly said, "A brandy please, Wilhelm."

Instead of answering, Klink poured a glass and promptly drank it himself. He looked back at her and promptly pour another and drank that one too.

Gertrude should not be enjoying his discomfiture so much. She looked back on the events of the evening and could not believe the person sitting on the couch with Klink was she. A simple sinus infection could not bring about such a change in someone. Still, she had to admit she did have a good time tonight. She promised herself that before she left, she would let him know she had only been joking and was not expecting him to marry her.

Excusing herself, she left the couch and went into her room to get ready for bed. She imagined Klink would remain on the couch drinking until either he ran out of brandy or Schultz gathered him up and took him back to his quarters. For the first time in a long time, she drifted off to sleep without the nightmares that had plagued her since Otto's death.

**Next: WTTGB: Lookout Point**

_A/n: _

_Most stoves at this time were wood or coal burning. There were a few petrol stoves and some electric ones but they were rare._

_сafetière à piston is a type of French press coffee pot which could be used to make coffee or hot tea._

_Getreidekaffee or grain coffee was a type of ersatz_ coffee.

Spargelsuppe mit Weisswein is Asparagus Soup with White Wine

Kartoffelbrot is potato bread

Johan Hendrik Weidner, a Dutch Seventh-day Adventist, lived in Paris and left during the beginning of the German occupation. He fled to the city of Lyon where he helped organize the "Dutch-Paris" underground network to aid anyone who needed to escape from the Nazis. In Paris, his sister Gabrielle Weidner and other volunteers helped coordinate escapes. As one of the significant contributors to French Resistance, Weidner's escape network would be responsible for the rescue of at least 1,000 persons, including 800 Jews and more than 100 downed Allied airmen. He was arrested by the Gestapo and was being shipped by train to a concentration camp but managed jump from the train and escape to Switzerland. He then traveled to England where he joined the Dutch forces there and fought with them to the end of the war.

Gabrielle Weidner arrested by the Gestapo, along with 140 members of the underground, and used unsuccessfully as bait for her brother. Interrogated and tortured in Fresnes prison in Paris; transported in a railway cattle car to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany were she was beaten, starved and used as slave labor. She died of malnutrition two days after the Soviets liberated the camp.

Fremdarbeiter or "foreign workers" brought against their will to work in German Industries. In the period from 1942, until the end of the war, there were approximately 1.4 million laborers in the service of the Organisation Todt. Overall, 1% was Germans rejected from military service and 1.5% was concentration camp prisoners; the rest were prisoners of war and compulsory laborers from occupied countries. All treated as slaves. Many did not survive the work or the war.

Gebratener Rehrücken is a roasted saddle of venison, Apfelmus is applesauce, Blaukraut is red cabbage and Pflaumenkuhen is a plum tart.


	13. Watch the Trains Go By: Lover's Lane

**Watch the Trains Go By: Lover's Lane**

"_We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged."_

― _Heinrich Heine_

The next day Gertrude began going through Albert's papers, putting them in the right order. Getting some ready for dispatch and others ready for filing. She noted he was becoming more careful about the information that was crossing her desk. If he thought that would deter her, he had another thing coming to him. It just presented her with a challenge she was more than willing to overcome. Looking at her watch, she noted it was almost 3:30 in the afternoon. She had invited Klink to tea because she felt a rather bad about her treatment of him last night at dinner and thought a little confession was good for the soul.

She put the paperwork away and went to the small kitchen her VIP quarters contained. With some bread she had obtained from the mess hall she made toast points and a small bowl of vegetable pate' made from chickpeas, mushrooms and some herbs she had brought with her from home. Setting the items on the coffee table, she went back into the kitchen a brewed a pot of tea. Checking her watch again, she saw it was ten minutes after four. She went to the door and asked the guard standing watch outside if he would have Schultz come to her quarters. Within a few minutes of her request, Schultz was standing in front of her smiling like an oversized little boy.

"How can I help you Gnädige Frau?" he asked good-naturedly as he towered over her.

"Would you please let the Kommandant know tea is ready, Schultz?"

"I would be my pleasure…..ba-by." Schultz said giving her a teasing wink and a wide grin.

Gertrude could not help but to smile and chuckle at the Sergeant of the Guard. The merriment evident in his twinkling blue eyes lifted her spirits. She found that she was genuinely fond of the man so many thought of as a buffoon. He had been through two wars and yet, somehow, he had not lost any of his innocence. He had a certain warmth and peace about him she found comforting. Gertrude could easily imagine him with wings and a halo, sent by the Creator to watch over all of them and keep them their sanity in an insane time.

Gertrude the next time she saw him her smile turned to a frown. With stumbling words and numerous apologies, he told her the Kommandant was too busy to have tea with her. She had never seen Klink this busy in all her previous visits and could easily deduce his strategy. Instead of becoming angry, she smiled at the gentle man and thanked him for his time. As he turned to leave, Gertrude remembered the tea she had prepared for the Kommandant. Not wanting to waste the food, she invited Schultz to join her, which he did with great gusto. She sat back, sipped her tea and watched him eat. It brought her great pleasure to watch a man with a hearty appetite enjoying one of her repasts once again.

She expected Klink at dinner but once again, he was absent. Thought out the meal she pondered how to ask Albert about him without putting any silly ideas or expectations in her brother's head. She still had not come up with anything by time Schultz had served the dessert. Frustrated with herself, she lapsed into a quiet reflection. Something her brother did not notice as he was too busy wolfing down large mouthfuls of the egg custard that had been placed in front of him.

"Very good dinner, Oberfeldwebel," Albert said between bites.

"Thank-you General," Schultz replied pouring the General another cup of coffee.

The door to the VIP quarters opened and Klink hurried in and began looking for something in the side table near the door. Without bothering glance their way, he threw out a "Good evening, good evening," over his shoulder as he continued to plunder the tiny drawer.

"Good evening, Wilhelm," Gertrude said in an effort to engage his attention. She sat stewing in frustration as her greeting failed to elicit any response from the Kommandant. The thought of why it should bother her so popped into her mind but she quickly pushed it away. She had never been afraid to examine her emotions or motivation but somehow this man put her in a whirlwind of confusion and self-doubt.

"Kommandant, your coat?" Schultz asked Klink, returning her thoughts back to the dinner.

"No thank-you, Schultz. I must go right out again." Turning from his task, he looked at the General. "Uh, a little surprise visit to our troops," he said in way of an explanation.

Gertrude did not believe it for one minute. By the tone in her brother's voice, neither did he.

"It's a surprise to me too."

"You have not had your dinner," Gertrude said peevishly, stung by his lack of attention.

"Oh I apologize, please forgive me. I can stay just long enough to have some coffee. Schultz," Klink said as if he had just realized she was in the room. He sat down at the table without removing his coat sending a clear message he would not be staying long.

"I never realized you were so dedicated to your job Klink."

"I guess that's why I don't have much of a social life, Klink replied with a shrug. "In a way I am married to the war."

"I think I understand Klink," Gertrude said as she started to guide Klink in the direction she wanted him to go. It was so easy to manipulate the Kommandant and a decent woman would be ashamed. Gertrude knew she should not take such pleasure in baiting Klink but could not help herself. She wondered when and if this paper tiger would turn and bite her.

"You know Frau Linkmeyer, I have been neglecting you shamelessly but that's the way I am."

"Yes I can see that and I admire you for it."

"Er... admire?" Klink said, looking as if he had swallowed something particularly nasty.

"Yes, I like a man who puts his job first. Women must learn to take second place. You have gone up in my estimation, Wilhelm."

"Schultz, take this away, get me a Schnapps. Make it a double," replied a pale and shaken Klink.

Really, Gertrude thought to herself, I need to stop toying with the man or I am going to turn him into a drunkard. She watched as he picked up his glass to drink the clear liquid. His hand trembled to the point she thought he would spill it. As he raised the glass to his lips, he paused and glanced her way then quickly downed the full glass. Morosely, he placed the glass back on the table. With hunched shoulders, he sat staring at the empty glass while Albert prattled on about some nonsense occurring in Berlin.

Gertrude felt bad. She just wanted to punish him a little for his inattention. She vowed immediately to stop the stupid game she was playing. He was not an evil man; in fact, she saw a lot of promise in him. Besides, between Albert, the General Staff and Papa Bear, he already was batted around like a shufflecock, she did not need to add to his misery. She resolved to be nicer to him, even if it earned her more grief from Albert.

She was surprised the next day when she received an invitation from him to go for an evening drive. Gertrude attempted to gain more information from Obergefreiter Dietrich. Since he had nothing additional to give her outside his orders, she had no choice but to accept the offer. After dinner, Klink had Schultz drive the car around to her quarters. He escorted her to the waiting staff car and gallantly helped her inside. Once settled, she thought she felt the car rock a bit, as if someone else had gotten inside. She looked up and saw Schultz was already behind the wheel. He had turned over the engine and was putting the vehicle into first gear. She knew Klink had climbed in behind her so the motion could not have come from him. She mulled the puzzle over in her mind while setting back into the seat in anticipation of a nice evening drive.

They rode in silence for two miles, until they stopped in a small clearing in the woods. She looked up at the bright stars in the sky and smiled to herself. When she was alone with Klink, he was decent and kind to her. She resolved to work on being nicer to him. After all, he was an innocent in other people's plots and schemes. The thought of spending an hour or two talking to him without the pressures of romance appealed to her.

The three of them had sat for several minutes in silence before Klink finally spoke. "Schultz, we won't need you for a while, uh, take a walk in the woods."

"Alone?" asked the nervous guard.

"I'm sorry we didn't bring a girlfriend for you. Get out!"

"There's a nice moon out tonight, Herr Kommandant."

She could hear Klink grind his teeth in frustration. "Thank you Schultz. GET OUT!"

"Yes sir, Herr Kommandant," Schultz said as he reluctantly exited the car and began walking away.

Gertrude thought she detected a small squeak behind her. Once again, the car rocked a bit and then stilled. Confused and attempting to figure out exactly what was going on. She was startled from her thoughts when Klink began speaking.

"Well, here we are," Klink replied nervously.

"Yes, alone again Wilhelm," Gertrude said. She felt skittish and shy. Almost like when she was first dating Otto. However, she had been in love with Otto from the first time she had laid eyes on him. Klink was not Otto, so she could not understand why she felt this way. She found herself blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. "It is very romantic, I approve."

"I'm glad you approve…and I approve of your approval."

_He is babbling again._ "What is it Wilhelm?

"Gertrude…Frau Linkmeyer…I realize that you are strongly attracted to me. It's one of those things, you can't help yourself. The moth to the flame?"

She knew him to be egotistical. Still, Gertrude hoped when he was alone with her he would drop those silly defenses and just be himself.

"I admire you very much. You're strong and forceful."

"Yeah," she said warming to his complement.

" And uh, forceful and strong."

"Thank you Wilhelm."

"But for a wife I want someone weak and stupid."

"What?"

"Someone I can talk to."

"SCHULTZ!" Was this payback for the teasing she had given him? Not only was she homely in his eyes, she was not even good enough to talk to. She felt her breath catch in her throat and fought back the pain. She rather french Hochstetter than give him the satisfaction of knowing how deeply his words had hurt her. It was her own fault, she reasoned. She had let her guard down, let herself believe they could be friends. Gertrude cursed her stupid pride. She turned to tell Klink exactly what she thought of his intellectual abilities when she saw movement in the back of the car. She felt the car move as a flash of brown crawled into the trunk.

_Hogan_, she thought_. Hochstetter was right. Hogan has been behind all of this. He is Papa Bear. All of this is his fault._ She felt herself seething with rage at him using her so shabbily. They were on the same side, even if he did not know it.

She could hear Klink trying to explain, to apologize. Gertrude ignored him. _Well Papa Bear, two can play this game and I now have the advantage._ She could hear Klink following behind her as she stormed up the steps the VIP quarters. Giving him no mind, she slammed the door in his face. Inside she felt herself smile. Now she was the cat and Hogan was the mouse. She looked down at her hands. _And my claws are very sharp._

Next: Resistance

A/n:

_Obergefreiter Dietrich is from "Look at the Pretty Snowflakes."_

_Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (December 13, 1797 – February 17, 1856) was a journalist, an essayist, and one of the most significant German romantic poets._


	14. Resistance

**Resistance**

_Disclaimer: Colonel Hogan was unharmed during the commission of this chapter. To ensure his safety during some of the scenes, the author employed a stunt double. However, Hogan fans might wish to skip this chapter as Hogan's code name may cease to be 'Papa Bear' and change forever to 'Butt Monkey'. Management assumes no responsibility for any resulting angst. _

Gertrude stood on the bridge overlooking the Danube near the town of Ingolstadt. She watched as the river floated the fallen leaves downstream and wished it would carry her away. This was a time when the Earth rested after the spectacular show she had put on during the spring and summer. As a child, she loved this time of year, the expectation of change, the promise of renewal. This air had a special smell to it. She inhaled its aroma as a faint smile played across her lips. She glanced down at Drei, whose nails click-clacked on the wooden bridge as he chased and snapped at some flying insect that had caught his attention. It eased her spirit a little to know the dog was dealing with the loss of its master. She would be greatly distressed to know she had failed her mother in the care of her beloved pet.

When the first wheel of the bicycle crossed over onto the bridge, she felt the ripple in the wood before she heard the sound of the cyclist as he made his way towards her. She looked over her shoulder and saw an old man on what appeared to be a Genial-Lucifer of undeterminable age. He smiled as her as he neared, stopping a few feet away. Drei stopped his play and greeted the man with a tail wag that wagged the little dog's entire body. He leaned down and gave the dog a little scratch behind the ear, before straighting up and addressing the woman before him.

"Good morning Fräulein," the elderly man said as he tipped his hat.

"It has been a long time since I was a Fräulein, mein Herr" she replied good-naturedly.

"You couldn't tell it by me."

"Ack, you are such a flirt Odie. You need to find yourself a nice Fräulein, one closer to your own age."

"Ah, but then I would be deprived of your company," he said as he propped the aged cycle against the wooden railing.

Gertrude gave him a friendly rap on his chest. "Rapscallion!"

A chuckle echoed from deep in his throat. Placing his arms on the railing, he looked out over the water. "Why so far from home M'lady?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied.

"Trying to set up a new cell nearby. You?"

"Albert had a meeting in town regarding a mobile rocket factory they are trying to hide from the Allies," she said as she pushed back an errant lock of hair, freed by a gentle gust of wind.

"And your brother just happened to let you know about it? I thought you said he was suspicious."

"He is and no he did not just let me know. In fact, the information came from our agent in Hanover, Hummel. Unfortunately, while obtaining the information he tipped his hand and now the Gestapo is looking for him. Will we be able to get him out though our usual channels?"

"I am afraid not," the erstwhile actor replied. "We lost the safe house in Hamburg. The Eickes were able to escape before the door was figuratively, kicked in. Without that needed link, any hope of getting anyone out of the country is next to impossible." Odie paused a moment in thought and then turned to Gertrude, "Of course Papa Bear might be able to smuggle him out."

"Papa Bear….When were you going to tell me he was Colonel Hogan?"

"When you asked me. You know as well as I do the less known; the better."

"I cannot believe Colonel Thornley did not tell me about his operation."

"Let me tell you a secret about operations such as ours. As civilians, we fall under the SOE. Colonel Hogan operation, on the other hand, is a military one. Often one hand does not know what the other is doing."

"Jurisdiction issues?"

"Exactly."

"Does he know about me?"

"Not to my knowledge. As far as he is concerned, you are just General Burkhalter's sister."

"Good, I can use that to my advantage," replied Gertrude.

Odie raised one inquisitive eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"I think I can get our agent out of the country and teach Hogan a lesson about a woman scorned."

Odie frowned at Gertrude. "Colonel Hogan is a good man. I know he has not exactly treated you as he should but he did not let any real harm happen to you."

"And I do not plan to let anything happen to him. I just want him to know what it feels like to be a puppet dancing to someone else's tune."

Her friend leaned closer to her. "What is this really about? It's not like you to be petty or spiteful."

"I am tired of being the butt of the joke. Whenever he wants a distraction, he launches me at Klink. And Klink…."

"What happened?" the younger man whispered with concern for his dear friend.

"Apparently not only am I the homeliest woman in the Third Reich but my personality left a lot to be desired," Gertrude said, twisting her handkerchief in her hands. "Klink said he would rather have someone weak and stupid than be with someone like me. I know Hogan put him up to it."

"Why do you care? It is not like you see him as husband material, or do you?"

"Of course not," Gertrude said, sighing in frustration. "It is just that….I do not know…for some reason it is different when he says it. Not like Bussey or the other fool my brother tried to get me to marry. They can say whatever they want and it does not faze me in the least. For some ungodly reason, it matters with Klink."

"I think I know why."

"Why? And if you say it is because I am in love with Klink, I swear I will push you off this bridge myself."

"No," he chuckled. "You are just starting to accept Otto's death."

"Believe me Odie, I know my husband is dead and not coming back to me."

"You know it here," he said gently touching her forehead with his index finger. "But you are just starting to accept it here," he said as he touched the spot over her heart.

"And you think Klink means something to me?"

"I think he represents future possibilities. There is something in his character you like, something you are connecting with."

"Thank you Sigmund Freud," she said without any real rancor. "But I think we need to get back to getting Hummel out of the country."

"Ok," Odie said as he turned back to the railing and looked out over the river. "How are you going to get Papa Bear work for you?"

"You look nice in that outfit Odie. What is the identity what goes with it?"

"I am Herr Professor Walter Riefenstahl, retired," Odie said as he turned to her, removed his Homburg and bowed slightly.

Smiling, Gertrude fingered the brightly painted geometric patterns on his hand-painted silk tie. "Would you like to go to a wedding with me Herr Professor?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Do we have two male agents that Papa Bear and his men have never met?"

"There is Gustav and Klimt, not their real names of course."

"Good. Can we get two Gestapo Carnes and warrant discs?"

"Difficult but not impossible."

"I will send a message to my handler saying we have an agent who has information concerning the rocket factory and will only give the information to Papa Bear. Do not worry," Gertrude said, forestalling Odie's objections. "I will come up with a plausible excuse. Papa Bear will find him in the possession of the Gestapo and next thing we know, Hummel is in London."

"And if something should go wrong?"

"That's the best part. We will have all this set up at the Hauserhof Hotel where my niece, Freida, is getting married. If anything unforeseen happens, we will be there to do damage control."

"So you want me to come as a wedding guest?"

"I was hoping you would escort me to the wedding. I was thinking at your age Albert will not try and be a matchmaker and I can enjoy the evening in peace."

"I'd be honored," Odie said, smiling broadly.

**HHHHHHHHHHHHHH**

Gertrude stood in the hotel vestibule and watched as Schultz, Hogan and two other prisoners filed into the lobby. Many of the hotel's guests stopped to look at the sight the four men presented. Schultz looked, as usual, nervous and flustered. Hogan, on the other hand, was cool and collected as he had just as much a right to be there as any of the Teutonic people standing there gaping at him. She had to hand it to Hogan; he had an amazing amount of moxie. If their circumstances were different, she doubted she had the stamina to pull off his cool, detached look.

She looked at the other two men. The taller man wore the blue of the RAF. The Corporal had green eyes that seemed to compliment his cat like movements. She noted how they were continuously scanning his surroundings; noting the exits and alert for any unseen danger. He was carrying an armful of fabrics and sewing implements, while loudly complaining to the smaller man about having to do all the work. He did not fool Gertrude. Under the constant complaining, she could hear the tone of immense regard he had for the diminutive prisoner.

Her gaze traveled to the little French Corporal. So much kinetic energy, almost if he was afraid if he stood still for too long people would forget he existed. He looked at the people in the lobby like a feral animal ready to launch a fatal attack, only to be restrained by the gentle tether of his loyalty to his Colonel.

She watched as they got on the elevator to go up to Fredia's room. Gertrude shook her head at the preposterousness of the scheme. How Hogan was able to convince her brother that one of his men was Yvette of Paris was beyond her. She had actually met the real Yvette on one of her visits to Gregor years ago. She could swear without a doubt, the little Frenchman was not Yvette_. So this is what it is like to be Hogan_, she thought to herself. _I like it._

Ten minutes after their ride up the elevator, the foursome came back down. Hogan wore a look of castigation on his face. She turned and hurried up the steps to talk to her agents. Gustav could barely contain his mirth as he told her about his handcuffing Hogan. She thanked the both men for their assistance and reminded them to be back on Saturday for the wedding. Something in her bones told her that was when Hogan would try again.

**HHHHHHH**

The wedding went off without any problems. The poor Count looked shell shocked as he repeated his vows. She did not approve of Albert's, as the Americans put it, shot gun wedding but Frieda looked so happy. Gertrude only hoped the happiness would remain long after the vows were just a fond memory. She enjoyed dancing with Odie. He was light on his feet and his company, without the pressure of marriage, was delightful. She thought the evening could not get any better when Albert had to ruin it by presenting a Luftwaffe Officer to her with the direct implication that she was to get to know him better. Odie's face took on a grim look as he observed the slimy Major Karp try to slither into Gertrude's good graces. As for Gertrude, she could not stand the man's touch. There was not a genuine bone in his body. She soon found herself fleeing and requesting Klink to dance with her just to get some relief from his presence.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Major trying to work up the nerve to cut in on her and Klink. Fortunately, for her, the air raid alarm sounded and she was able to slip away from him in the confusion. Finding Odie she said, "Colonel Hogan?"

"I think so," he replied above the wailing sirens.

It seemed like forever before order was restore but in fact, it had only been a few minutes. When the lights were restored, she looked around but did not see the Major and sighed a breath of relief. Moments later Frieda came down and joined the Count as they left together on their honeymoon.

"Your niece seems to have grown several inches," mused Odie.

"Yes she has. I cannot believe no one has noticed. I guess people see what they expect to see."

"I suppose so. Look there is Colonel Hogan."

"Looking entirely too pleased with himself," replied Gertrude. "I guess Hummel is on his way to London." She looked across the room and saw the two 'Gestapo' men. Gustav smiled and tipped his hat, the prearranged signal that everything went as planned.

She smiled up at Odie and took his arm, "Care to drive your date home? We both have a big day tomorrow.

Odie smiled down at her and replied, "It would be my immense pleasure to see you home, lovely lady."

**Next: Kommadant Gertrude**

_A/n: _

_Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Thornley was the head of SOE operations in Germany until after D-day. _

_Homburg was a wide brimmed hat that was popular in Germany at this time. _

_The events depicted in this chapter are from Gowns by Yvette._


	15. Kommandant Gertrude

**Kommandant Gertrude**

Gertrude looked up from her typing to see Major Wolfgang Karp standing there staring down at her with a wolfish grin on his face. "Hello Gertrude, how are you today?" She cringed at the gall he had to address her so familiarly. He had spent the last month trying to weasel his way into her good graces and she had repeatedly rebuffed him with little success. Everywhere she turned, there he was. She knew his unit was scheduled to take an easterly trip within the next couple of weeks and he saw her as his ticket to stay in country.

She sat back in her chair and took stock of the man. Karp was a good name for him, an ornamental oily fish. Apparently, he thought his looks were all that and then some. He was a man who relied entirely on his appearance and charm to get by in the world. Too bad, in her opinion he was severely lacking on both counts. She had reviewed his personnel file and the man did not have any accomplishments to his name. His rank was due entirely to his connections and riding on the coat tails of better officers' achievements. She could not understand how he obtained an Iron Cross. She suspected the black market. That could be the only answer. Now the rouge was actively seeking to use her to further his ambitions.

Her brother was usually a good judge of character. She wondered why he could not see the man for what he was. Klink had more gumption and spine than this croaking toad. Did he want to get rid of her that bad that he would push her off onto this….creature?

She had tried everything in her arsenal to discourage Karp but he was relentless in his pursuit. Either he could not recognize a hint or, more likely, he did not care what she thought. This man sought a promotion and comfortable job. Her happiness did not play into his plans.

"Major Karp," Gertrude replied. "I do not think you are on the General's agenda for today."

His smile broadened as he reached down and took her hand. Gertrude wondered if she smacked him in the head with her typewriter, would that be enough to wipe the smirk off his face. Probably not, she decided.

"I came here to see you, not your brother," he said raising her hand to his lips. It was like stepping on a garden snail in her bare feet. I shiver of disgust vibrated through her body. Gertrude snatched her hand away and unconsciously rubbed the spot where his mouth had touched her.

"I am busy," she replied as she turned back to her typing.

He walked around the desk to where she sat and placed his hands on her shoulders. Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "Too busy to see me?"

"Major please," she said as she vainly tried to shrug his hands away. "This is an office and not a bordello." She could feel his hot humid breath on the back of her neck and silently wished she had worn her hair down today. He thought he was being sexy. She thought he was being obnoxious.

"Perhaps I should speak with the General first," he purred into her ear.

"I think I could fit you in next month," replied Gertrude.

"No need," Karp said as he moved to stand upright. "I am sure once he hears what I have to say, he will not mind the interruption."

Gertrude's jaw dropped open and her mind raced to come up with a suitable retort that would put him in his place but before her mind could form a proper response, Karp had whisked himself around the desk and into the General's office. She looked down at her hands and saw they were shaking. She buried them in her lap in an effort to still them. Entwining and twisting her fingers, she tried to think her way out of the situation. She had been unspeakably rude to the man yet he was now, she suspected, speaking to her brother about marriage.

The door opened and her brother walked out of the office with Karp. Both were smiling and laughing with Albert's arms slung in a brotherly manner over Karp's shoulders.

"We need to celebrate your good fortune Gertrude. After I come back from Stalag XIII, we will announce your engagement," Albert said while patting his soon-to-be brother-in-law on the back. Neither had thought to consult her on the matter. She thought of all the men her brother had tried to get her to marry, every bullet she had dodged; only to be saddled with this creature was more than she could stand. Still, he had said Stalag XIII. If she could present Karp in such a fashion it would put Hogan's operation in jeopardy, then he might find a way to get rid of the man_. Hogan if you can get me out of his mess, I promise no more pranks. I will put more money in the collection place. I will be nicer to Klink. Anything you want, just get rid of this imbecile for me._

She grasped at the glimmer of hope and a smile formed on her lips. "Oh, if only Wilhelm could see me now. Ah, but he lost out to the better man. I hope he takes the news well."

"Someone else is interested in marriage?" Karp said looking to the General for conformation.

Albert face was impassive as he looked at Gertrude. She could not imagine what he was thinking. After a long pause he said, "I think it would be good for the two of you to accompany me to Stalag XIII. After all, once you are married I will have to find another secretary. So come with me on this last trip for old time's sake. You can say your good-byes to Klink in person."

"Of course General," Karp said with a little apprehension in his voice.

"Good, then it is settled. We leave in three days," Albert said as he walked back into his office and closed the door.

"So there is another who has sought your hand in marriage?"

"Yes, Wilhelm adores me. Of course, he is an Oberst and not a Major but I am sure you do not have anything to worry about. I cannot wait for you to meet him."

"Yes, I can't wait either…." Karp said distractedly.

Three days later Gertrude found herself riding in the backseat with Karp, while her brother rode up front. She had begun her nonstop assault on his manhood two days ago, reducing him to a nodding puppet. Unfortunately, he did not seem to mind the emasculation and went along with whatever Gertrude threw at him. Becoming increasingly frustrated, she silently prayed Hogan would be her salvation.

As they pulled into camp, she saw Klink as he ran up to the staff car. _Klink must be really flustered by our visit if he has forgotten his cover,_ Gertrude observed. _I hope Albert does not dress him down in front of us for being out of uniform._

As she stepped from the vehicle, she surprised herself by being truly pleased to see Klink. She mentally compared Klink and Karp. While both men took extraordinary pride in their appearance, Klink did not go overboard. His style was very fastidious. Though the uniform was old due to the war shortages, it was well tailored and maintained. If not for its faded appearance, something he had no control over, you would think it was new. Karp on the other hand was a peacock. He insisted on wearing a dress uniform for this meeting. He looked more at home at a Hollywood party than as an officer of the Third Reich. Gertrude felt her cheeks grow hot at his exuberant display and hoped Klink would refrain from making a comment.

"Good day Klink," she said as she exited the car.

"Welcome Frau Linkmeyer, it's a pleasure to see you again," Klink said shaking her hand as he would do with a man and wearing a nervous smile on his face.

_He must be still nervous over our last encounter. Perhaps afraid I will make so sort of scene. I wish Albert were not here so I could ease his mind but any act of kindness or friendship I give him will be pounced on by my brother._

"Thank you. Klink, I would like to introduce you to my fiancé," she said as he turned to the popinjay that had just come to stand beside her. "Major Wolfgang Karp, this is Oberst Wilhelm Klink, Kommandant."

"Herr Kommandant," Karp replied while giving Klink a half-hearted salute.

She watched as Klink's face lit up with joy. _At least someone is happy_, she thought tersely.

"Any fiancé of Gertrude is a fiancé of mine. I mean any friend of mine," he corrected nervously.

Karp took her arm and began to lead her towards the Kommandantur. She shot Klink a _help me_ look over her shoulder, which was completely lost on Klink. She scanned the compound for Hogan. Failing to see any of the prisoners, she reasoned everyone was on barracks confinement. Most likely, due to the construction she observed outside the wire.

Both she and Karp sat in front of Klink's desk, while Klink obtained a third chair for the General. She also noticed that Karp took care not to look at her but to look around at Klink's office with clear avarice in his eyes. _He is blatant about his desire for Klink's command._ _This is something I can use to prompt Hogan assistance_. She would have to proceed very carefully and not overplay her hand. She had primed her brother over the last few days in this direction. A single misstep now could ruin everything.

Klink poured them all a glass of brandy and did the required toast to the Führer. She almost gaged on the amber liquid.

"So what do you think of these two Klink?" the General asked innocuously but it did not fool Gertrude. Her brother was on a fishing trip. If Klink showed any partiality, Albert would jump on it like a bulldog on a bone. She found Karp was looking at her and wondered if he suspicious. Gertrude held her breath, waiting with uncertainty.

"Ha ha ha, all the world loves a lover," Klink replied with obvious delight written on his face.

"I realize this must be difficult for you. Gertrude has told me you two were…friends," replied Karp in measured tones. Gertrude wondered if she had played up the relationship too much.

"Well that's the way it goes, one can't win them all," replied a jovial Klink.

"I have a feeling Klink will recover," the General said with a knowing smile.

"I cannot tell you how relieved…pleased, ah pleased I am," Klink said in an attempt to get his foot out of his mouth.

"Thank you Wilhelm. We will announce our engagement in a day or two. Right Wolfgang? Right," she answered not giving him the time to respond. Karp just smiled and nodded. Gertrude wondered if either her brother or Klink could see Karp for what he was.

"You know General Burkhalter, I have had what I consider a brilliant idea," Klink said rising from his chair.

"That's hard to believe," replied the General.

"Allow me the honor of giving the happy couple their engagement party."

Gertrude smiled, pleased at Klink's show of generosity towards her. She had expected him to host a party at the news of her engagement but not one where she would receive an invitation.

"Klink, how sweet of you," she gushed.

"That's very generous of you Klink," Karp replied in a monotone voice.

"It's nothing, nothing at all," replied Klink.

"It is when it comes out of the camp budget," complained the General.

"We accept Albert," Gertrude said with a low warning in her voice. When it came to self-extravagance, Albert had no equal. Yet he demanded severe austerity from his subordinates. Turning back to Klink, she smile and continued, "With pleasure."

"Yes, thank you," Karp replied without any enthusiasm.

She watched as Klink became excited over making plans for the party. "We will have the Guest Quarters decorated. Uhmm, one of our prisoners is an excellent chef…."

_Wonderful_, she thought. Her experience told her whenever any of Hogan's men were on a party detail; he was always there to supervise. She had been wondering how she was going to make contact with him without raising suspicion.

"Alright," Albert broke in, "I think it is settled. Gertrude, I have some private matters to discuss with Klink. Why don't you take Wolfgang on a little tour of the Stalag?"

Gertrude and Karp got up and walked to the door. She had never seen Klink so giddy before. She thought it was too bad it would not last. After Albert told him of their plans for Wolfgang, she knew his good mood would lie in tatters. Of course, Klink would immediately run to Hogan for help. She secretly smiled. Their engagement was already on its way to being broken.

"Klink," she said in a flirty manner as she exited the office, unable to contain her happiness. Soon, she told herself, this nightmare would be just a bad memory.

**Next: Guard Tower? What Guard Flipping Tower?**

_A/n: _

_In the both the German and American military, it is a regulation a solider must wear his cover when he is outside. The American POWs, who lose their cover during the bailout/capture, are excused from this regulation. This of course begs the question as to why Hogan wears his cover inside as US regulations state cover can only worn inside when a solider is under arms._

_Gertrude says something in German to Klink. As I have no idea what it is she has said, I have substituted "Klink, how sweet are you," which seems to convey the general attitude of her response. _


	16. Tower? What Frickin' Tower?

**Tower? What Fricking Tower?**

Gertrude stepped out of the Kommandantur and into the harsh sunlight. She blinked a few times, trying to get her eyes used to the cloudless sky. Karp stood next to her, his arm linked in hers, body ridged as a board. It was obvious her touch did not send any waves of ecstasy or passion through him. She filched at the thought of what their wedding night would be like. He would be doing his duty in a cold robotic fashion without any tenderness or need. His motives would be simply to make it impossible for her to seek an annulment. After that night, it was unlikely he would touch her again. He would reason, correctly, Gertrude thought, she would not ask for a divorce and let the world know she was so undesirable, not even her husband wanted to be intimate with her.

She felt panic build in her chest and fought the urge to call him out as the base liar he was. Gertrude looked up at him and saw her was looking at her with a quizzical expression on his face. She realized she was clutching his arm, her nails digging into the fabric of his coat. Knowing he was more concerned with her damaging his coat than anything he might feel for her, she willed herself to relax. She smiled up at him, which he did not return. Instead, he turned and looked out at the camp. A surreptitious leer briefly crossed his lips. She imagined him going from building to building, urinating on each in order to mark everything in the camp as his. She felt a pang of sympathy for Klink. If she failed in detangling herself from this man, she would not be the only one to suffer. Karp's boot prints would be all over the Klink's back in his mad rush for the Kommandant's chair. If he thought she was going to sacrifice herself or Klink on his narcissistic altar, he had another thing coming.

A young dark haired Obergefreiter, who she remembered from her kidnapping, rapidly approached them. He saluted both of them while wearing a broad gelastic grin on this face. Karp gave the young man an indolent one fingered salute. The Obergefreiter appeared unfazed by the superior officer's blasé response.

"Herr Major, Frau Linkmeyer, I have been instructed to show you around the camp and answer any questions you might have."

"Danke," replied Gertrude warmly. "You must forgive me; I remember your face but am unable to place your name."

The Obergefreiter tilted his head slightly to the right and surprisingly, favored her with an even larger smile. "It is to be expected gnädige Frau, as I am just one of many. Obergefreiter Karl Langenscheidt at your service," he replied snapping off another salute.

"Oh yes, now I remember. You drove me back to camp after the kidnapping." She watched as he bobbed his head in assent. "I remember how kind you were to me. I am sorry I have not taken the time to properly thank you."

"Really Gertrude, you shouldn't be so friendly with the enlisted men. They'll get the wrong idea," Karp said in a bored apathetic tone.

"What do you mean?" Gertrude replied making a conscious effort to bite back her anger.

"You give this sort the same courtesies as you would a person of import. He is enlisted and not even a NCO. What could you be thinking? Next thing you know he'll be strutting around here thinking he is just as good as you or I."

Gertrude looked at her fiancé through slitted eyes. Turning to the solider standing before her, she noticed he now looked uncomfortable and tense. His smile had faded from his face as he moved nervously. His eyes were rapidly glancing between the two individuals standing before him but he wisely kept to his own counsel.

"What did you do before the war?"

"I was a teacher," Langenscheidt hesitantly answered.

"Where?"

"Georg-August-Universität Göttingen."

"A professor?"

"No, I was working on my advanced degree when I was drafted." Langenscheidt gave her a shy but conspiratorial look. "They practically had to drag me to the recruiting station."

She looked up at Karp and asked, "And where did you attend University, my dear?"

"Never mind," Karp replied briskly dismissing her question. "You are supposed to show us around, no?"

"Yes Herr Major," Langenscheidt replied with a relieved look and his trademark smile back in place. "Our first stop will be the delousing station," he said as he motioned to his eight o'clock.

"Fine, then let us get on with it," Karp grumbled.

**HHHHHHHHHH**

By the time of the party Klink had promised her, Gertrude was happy because she could finally move her plans forward. For days she had been about to go out of her mind with boredom. Karp lay around the VIP quarters having his meals brought to him, while he smoked those fetid cigars. She was unsure where he had purchased them but to her they smelled as if they were had been stored in a monkey's butt. Not at all the pleasant aroma she remembered from her father's cigars. Even the half-hearted attempts Klink made to familiarize Karp with the operation seem to tire the man to the point of exhaustion.

Her eyes wandered around the room and she noticed the young woman Klink had brought as a date. Gertrude could have sworn she had seen her somewhere before. After staring at her for a few moments, it finally came to her. She was the sister of Hauptmann Richter, General Wexler's aide. Gertrude remembered seeing her with her brother at one of General Nehring's parties. She knew both brother and sister where heavily involved in the resistance movement.

If memory served her correctly, their uncle was Generalfeldmarschall Rudolf Richter, who mysteriously died when his car's gas tank exploded while visiting the camp six months ago. She remembered the event somehow involved Major Hochstetter. She wondered if the American Officer had anything to do with the incident. Her woman's intuition told her to bet the farm he had been the instigator in the entire fiasco.

Gertrude observed while the Fräulein was a guest of Wilhelm's, her eyes followed Colonel Hogan as he moved around the room. Klink seemed oblivious to her interest in the Senior POW or Hogan's interest in her. _Poor Wilhelm_, Gertrude thought, _once again Hogan is using the Kommandant as a means to an end_. She wondered how the proud Prussian's pride would hold up once all Hogan's tricks were brought to the harsh light of day. She thought it was likely Wilhelm's physical and mental health would suffer greatly. His record at the Stalag was the only thing he had and that was a farce. She felt some sympathy for the Kommandant and a little anger at Hogan. Intellectually she knew Hogan had a job to do and Klink was the enemy but did he have to do it with such glee. She wondered if it ever kept him up at night. Perhaps he was he able to compartmentalize and rationalize his actions. She thought the latter was the most probable. How else could any solider do his job and hang on to his sanity?

Gertrude looked around the room and saw Karp was keeping company with Oberst Klingemann's wife, Theresia. He seemed overly friendly to her, not that Gertrude minded, but she needed to keep up the pretense she was happy with her impending marriage. Crossing the room, she detangled him from the younger woman's presence and steered him over to where Hogan was talking with Fräulein Richter.

"Colonel Hogan," she began.

"Here's the happy couple now," quipped Hogan.

Ignoring him she continued, "I think it is time for you to meet the new adjutant. " Turning to Karp, "This is Colonel Hogan, Senior Prisoner of War Officer."

"Major, congratulations," replied Hogan.

"Yeah, thank you," Karp replied distractedly as he openly stared at Karin.

"Uh, Fräulein Richter," Hogan replied. He appeared taken back by Karp's blatant perusal of the Fräulein. Gertrude thought she detected a hint of protectiveness from Hogan. She did not detect any sexual tension between the two of them and concluded the woman must be one of his contacts.

"Yes, we have had the pleasure," replied Gertrude as she began her attempt to manipulate Hogan. She was anxious, as Hogan was not Albert or Wilhelm. She would not be able to lead him as easily but so much rode on the success of this plan failure was not an option. "Wolfgang, would you entertain the Fräulein while I speak to Colonel Hogan."

"Yes Gertrude."

"Not too much entertainment. Right Wolfgang? …Right…" She said, answering for him and purposely emasculating him in front of Hogan and the girl.

She moved away from the unlikely pair, compelling Hogan to follow her to the banquet table. As she spoke, she began to pile her plate with food to give him the illusion she was only half listening to the conversation. If she did this right, he would think everything was his idea.

"I want to ask you something. Is Klink upset by Wolfgang being made adjutant?"

"He is taking Russian lessons."

"It is possible that Wolfgang might take Klink's job someday."

"Really? When?"

"When I say so."

"Yeah, Klink is worried about his plan to move the guard towers."

"Yeah? Why should he worry?"

"He is afraid that some smart officer like Wolfgang might find out how expensive the job it is."

"I had no idea." _No idea Karp was in possession of any intelligence._

"And tell the General."

"Yeah, Albert doesn't like it when the Luftstalags spend money."

"I don't think Wolfgang should mention it to your brother."

"Yeah but it would be very good for Wolfgang's career."

"Think of Klink."

_As if you do. _"By all means," Gertrude replied, happy Hogan was taking the bait. Leaning close to him she said, "Moving the guard towers is not necessary?"

"Oh there hasn't been a successful escape from Stalag XIII."

"So Klink has told me…and told me…and told me."

"So the position of the towers really has nothing to do with it."

Laughing, Gertrude responded, "I understand." _More than you realize, Hogan_.

She watched as Klink got up to introduce the General. Gertrude, once again on Karp's arm, was not listening. If she wanted to beat Hogan at his own game, she would have to stay two steps ahead of him. That would not be easy. The man was no fool and could grasp a situation and its inherent problems with lightning speed. Now she would let Hogan think he had won, while she added more pressure.

She watched Hogan move through the room as if he were the host instead of Klink. If that mobility were restricted, it would be only a short time before he began plotting how to circumvent the problem. She just needed to be ready to have him help her, while thinking he was helping himself_. I wonder how he would feel about a guard inside his barracks at all times_. She knew logistically it could not work for a long period. Klink did not have the men to support such an operation for any extended time. However, if she could do it long enough, Hogan might just come through for her.

**Next: Oh Albert!**

_A/n:_

_Hauptmann (Captain) Richter is from "Cuisine a la Stalag 13"._

_Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) Rudolf Richter is from "The Defector"._

_Walther Kurt Josef Nehring was General of the Armored Corps (General der Panzertruppe). Since Otto was a General in the Panzers, it would be only natural Gertrude would know him and to be invited to one of his parties._

_In the closing credits, Fräulein Richter's name was spelled using the American variant. Since she is German, I have elected to use the German spelling._


	17. Oh Albert!

**Oh Albert!**

Gertrude sat at the dining room table in the VIP Quarters with a pencil and a tablet of paper trying to figure out how to implement her plan to put guards in the barracks. There were just too many barracks. With only eighty guards, the task was monumental. Gertrude shook her head in wonder. She did not know how Klink did it. With a thousand prisoners, there should be twice the number of guards and support staff. She saw the camp meager supplies did not meet the demands of its staff. No wonder the guards were deserting. Under these conditions, who could blame them?

She was beginning to believe the task was unworkable, even in the short term. Eighty men for sixty-five POW barracks, even Klink would be able to grasp the infeasibility of her idea. She looked at her figures again. Currently there were twenty men on duty at a time. Four were walking the outer perimeter of the camp. One in each of the six guard towers. Two staffed the front gate. Four patrolled inside the camp with an additional one stationed outside the Kommandantur, one with the work detail outside the fence, one at the motor pool and one at the cooler. Each pulled a six-hour shift, rotating positions every two hours with twelve hours off before their next shift. Then there were the men on CQ, KP, work details and those who filled in while the others on duty ate their meals. She estimated a usual shift would entail twenty-five guards. That would leave a handful of men who were on furlough, sick call or in the stockade.

She chewed the end of the pencil in thought. To have guards in the barracks twenty-four hours a day would be unworkable. _Nevertheless, if I only had them inside the barracks and restricted the men from entering the barracks during the day, I might get this by Albert as long as I did not allow Klink to disclose exactly how under staffed he is._

She looked down at the roster of men and felt a certain pang of guilt. Anyone coming to the camp would know, without ever laying eyes on the Kommandant, what kind of man he was. He was a colonel leading a company of men and a small one at that. Yet he had the foresight to move the guard towers. Perhaps on a sub conscious level, he knew there was something off with Hogan. One of the few times the man was right and she was forced to make him look like a baboon. Between tight lips, she exhaled in frustration and promised herself she would find a way to make it up to him.

A knock at the door interrupted her reflections. Pushing back from the table, she crossed the room to answer the door. Standing on the stoop was the ever-cheerful Sergeant Schultz.

"Good afternoon, Frau Linkmeyer," the round Sergeant said while giving her a jovial look. "I was asked to inform you the Kommandant, General and Major Karp will be eating in the officer's mess. Do you wish to join them or should I bring your lunch here?"

"Could you bring it Schultz? I am working on a problem and I'd like to continue without interruption."

"As you wish. Today they're serving …" he started.

"Excuse me Sergeant but is that singing I hear?"

"Oh yes, it is the prisoners. Today is wash day," Schultz said as if that explained everything.

"I would like to see who is singing."

Schultz shifted nervously with had a pained looked on his face, "Would it not be better if I just told them to stop?"

"No, now please take me to them now."

The large man sighed but complied. As they turned the corner of the north side of the showers, Gertrude saw four men washing their clothes. One was a young man, tall, thin with dark wavy hair. He was singing lead, while the other three men harmonized. Well, Gertrude supposed, in some circles what they were doing could be considered harmonizing.

"When der Führer say, "We is da master race, we heil (pffft), heil (pffft), right in the Führer's face!

Not to love da Führer is a great disgrace, so we heil (pffft), heil (pffft), right in the Führer's face!

When Herr Goebbels says, "We own the world and space," we heil (pffft), heil (pffft), right in Herr Goebbel's face!

When Herr Goring says, "They'll never bomb this place," we heil (pffft), heil (pffft), right in Herr Goring's face!

Are we not the supermen? Aryan pure supermen. (Ja we are the supermen, super duper supermen!) Is this Nutsy land so good? Would you leave it if you could? (Ja this Nusty land is good. We would leave it if we could.)

We bring the world to order, Heil Hitler's world to order. Everyone of foreign race will love the Führer's face! We bring to the world dis order.

When der Führer say, "We is da master race, we heil (pffft), heil (pffft), right in the Führer's face!

Not to love da Führer is a great disgrace, so we heil (pffft), heil (pffft), right in the Führer's face!"

"Oh the boys are being naughty. I will tell them to stop," Schultz said apolitically.

"Who is the man leading the song?"

"That is Sergeant Olsen."

"And the other men?"

"Privates Addison and Broughton and Sergeant Baker. You're not going to report them are you? They're good boys. They don't mean any harm."

Gertrude stepped closer to the men. The young men stopped singing and turned to look at her.

"You have a very nice quartet Sergeant Olsen."

"Danke, Frau Linkmeyer," Olsen replied with a lopsided grin.

"Good range of voice. I could hear you from the VIP quarters. Unfortunately, I do not believe my brother shares my love of music. Perhaps it would be wise to lower the volume a little."

"Not a problem," Olsen replied with a chuckle and a wink.

Gertrude returned his smile, "If only I was twenty years younger, several pounds lighter and we were not at war."

A hearty good-natured laugh erupted from Olsen. Gertrude turned away and walked several steps before Schultz found his voice.

"Thank you Frau Linkmeyer," Schultz replied with relief written all over his face.

Looking up at Schultz Gertrude replied, "Have you eaten yet Sergeant?"

"I have not had the opportunity."

"Good, then when you fetch my lunch, bring enough back for the two of us. I would like it if you would do me the honor of dining with me."

"Oh yes, Frau Linkmeyer," Schultz replied with unbridled glee as he hurried off towards the officer's mess.

Gertrude continued to walk back to her quarters, softy humming Olsen's song.

HHHHHH

Gertrude stood beside her brother on the porch of the Kommandantur, watching as the prisoners lined up for roll call. Once assembled, Klink stepped forward with Karp to address the assembled men. His tone bespoke his opinion on the subject matter.

"Gentlemen, I have an announcement. After consultation with our new adjutant, Major Karp, I have decided not to move the guard towers at this time."

A general roar of happiness rose up from the ranks of the prisoners. Gertrude watched as a smirk crossed Hogan's face.

"However, there is a need for tighter security so I have made another decision. Again, after consultation with Major Karp, and others…" Klink turned and shot Gertrude a half wounded and half-angry look before turning his attention back to the assembled men. "There will be a guard in every barracks at Stalag 13 on twenty-four hour duty."

Gertrude watched as Hogan's smile turned to a grimace. The once happy prisoners now shouted in anger. She was slightly amazed to note the little Frenchman was the loudest of all.

Hogan stepped forward to lodge his complaint. "Kommandant, that is a violation of the Geneva War Convention."

"Hogan, the Geneva Convention says nothing about it but thank-you for bringing it to my attention," replied an irritated Klink. "The new security system will begin today at 1600 hours with the changing of the guard. That's all. Dis-missed!"

Klink turned and without a glance at her or the General, stomped into the Kommandantur. She noticed the guards were looking at her with a combination of disbelief and resigned acceptance. Her heart went out to them. She had put forth a less radical plan but Albert had seized on the idea and demanded the barracks have a guard whether or not the prisoners were inside. He had always been cheap and the non-coms were the cheapest labor around. The guards' pay is the same no matter how many hours they work. Because of her desire to rid herself of Karp, the whole camp was going to suffer. She felt nauseated and hoped between herself and Hogan; they could end this nonsense quickly.

HHHHHH

The next day, Gertrude decided to work with Klink in his office rather than having to look at the tired faces of the guards. After all, Karp showed no interest in the overwhelming amount paperwork that had to be finished daily. Klink had put up a strenuous objection but since her brother was still present in camp, he had little option. She found she enjoyed working shoulder to shoulder with Klink. Running of the prison camp was more interesting than she thought. She could not believe the number of details that went into the daily operation of the camp, though some were mind numbing with the tedious attention they required.

She also noted Klink was a skilled bookkeeper and was about to compliment him when Hogan burst into the room. Without a hello, kiss his foot or a salute, Hogan launched himself into his litany of complaints, with the guards in the barracks at the top of the list.

"Why do you object to the new guard system, Colonel?" answered Gertrude.

"It doesn't make sense and it's degrading."

"You are prisoners of war."

"Yes, I noticed that too," replied Klink. Turning to Gertrude, he voiced his old complaint. "I still think the guard towers should be moved."

"Wolfgang is against it and so and so am I."

"I'm still the Kommandant here," Klink said slapping the desk in frustration.

"And General Burkhalter is also against it."

"He didn't say anything about it to me," Klink mumbled to himself.

"He will, once Frau Linkmeyer tells him what to say," interjected Hogan.

Gertrude, taken aback by his outright impudence, slapped the top of the desk. Her tone made it clear she was issuing Hogan a warning regarding his blatant disrespect. "Hogan…"

"Jawohl Herr Kommandant. Sorry, I can't seem to keep you two straight."

Klink unknowingly mimicked Gertrude when he slapped the top of the desk and replied, "HOGAN! You're dis-missed!"

Hogan left without any further comment but Gertrude thought she detected a gleam of an idea reflected in the American's eye. She found she was right when Hogan showed up in the office again to rail against the new guard system. It was not too long before she found herself not only arguing with Hogan but Klink as well.

"And my Wolfgang says attempted escapes are expensive."

"Ha, your Wolfgang has become quite the expert."

"I know how to economize," replied Hogan, stoking the fire. "From now on _you_ manage our escape plans. That way we cut out the middle man,"

Gertrude was not amused by Hogan's flippancy and was about to tell him so when she was interrupted by a knock at the door,

"Come in," ordered Klink.

Schultz opened the door and stepped into the office. Saluting he said, "Reporting for duty, Herr Kommandant."

"Schultz, I thought I assigned you to work with Major Karp."

"I was Herr Kommandant until Fräulein Richter arrived. Then the Major told me he does not need me in the afternoon."

Coming to his feet, Klink sputtered, "What is this about?"

Seizing the opportunity, Gertrude jumped out of her chair and almost collided with Klink. She affected a shocked and dismayed look. "She is alone with him?"

"Yes Gnädige Frau."

"We will find out right away what this is about," Klink said.

"Hold it," replied Hogan. "I'm sure it's perfectly innocent."

"Ja, two people alone in the afternoon with a bottle of champagne, doesn't mean anything." Schultz said while giving Hogan a knowing nudge.

"That's my girl," cried Klink.

"That's my fiancé," replied Gertrude as both she and Klink moved towards the door. Before either of them could reach it, the little French Chef burst into the office.

"Excuse me Mon Colonel," LeBeau began.

"LeBeau…" Hogan began.

"First he orders lunch for one," LeBeau says, counting off on his fingers. "Then he orders lunch for two. Then he dismisses me before I even get a chance to serve the dessert." Turning to Gertrude, LeBeau continued. "I realize Fräulein Richter is beautiful but food is food," he said as he turned and stormed out of the room.

"Perfectly innocent, huh?" Klink said to Hogan as everyone tried to leave the room at the same time.

Gertrude almost felt sorry for Karp. Hogan had out done himself in setting the Major up. Nevertheless, she reasoned, ultimately it was Karp's own fault. He liked pretty girls too much for him to pass up such a tempting morsel. Therefore, while Hogan provided the fuel, the Major lit the match for his own doom.

Upon entering the quarters and finding Karp had compromised himself, Gertrude played the wrong woman to the hilt, sobbing all the way to Albert's arms. Within twenty-four hours, Karp was on the Berlin Express headed east, the camp had returned to normal and Gertrude was able to get some much-needed sleep.

**Next: Versie**

_A/n:_

_The number of guards and the mention of guards deserting was from "The Kommandant Dies at Dawn."_

_ *Thanks Dust!*_

_Military unit break down: Squad is nine to twelve men lead by a sergeant or a staff sergeant. A Platoon is two to four squads (18 to 48 men) lead by a lieutenant with a NCO. Three to five platoons form a company, commanded by a captain (54 to 192 men). [Artillery units are batteries and armored or air cavalry units are troops]. A Battalion is four to six companies (216 to one 1,152), commanded by a lieutenant colonel. [An armored or air cavalry unit of equivalent size is called a squadron.] A Brigade, commanded by a Colonel, is two to five Battalions (3,000 to 5,760 men). Corps are commanded by a lieutenant general and is usually 50,000 plus soldiers. These figures and designations are for the US Army but can be used as a general guideline when dealing with ranks and structure of other armies. Command is also somewhat fluid as command can be one-step up or down, depending on the individual or military need at the time. As you can see, Klink is filling the role assigned to a captain. Anyone familiar with the military would immediately know where Klink stood with the High Command and what his abilities were._

_I came up with the ratio of guards to prisoners by using Skorpa prisoner of war camp in Norway for captured German military and civilians as a model. It had five hundred prisoners and eighty guards. Its Commandant held the rank of captain._

_Spike Jones and His City Slickers sang "Der Führer's Face" in 1942. It was a hit but when Disney included the song in their 1943 award winning Donald Duck short, it became one of the most popular songs during the war. You can find the song and the cartoon on Youtube._


	18. Versie

**Versie**

_A/n: The character of 1__st__ Lieutenant Versie Elizabeth Cumba (pronounced Kum-bee), is an original character introduced in Southern Skies, Southern Lies. I promise you will not have to read the story to understand this chapter. _

_It has been pointed out I have been less than clear in my last two chapters. Sometimes I get so engrossed into writing the story; I assume everyone remembers the episode as I do. You have my apologies readers. I will try to remember not everyone is at the same place in fandom (which is not to say one level of fandom is better over another). Thanks so much to konarciq for bringing this to my attention._

Gertrude walked into Albert's office and found him stuffing his brief case full of papers. He paused for a moment as he glanced up and noted her presence. Just as quickly, he wordlessly resumed his frenetic task.

"Where are you going Albert?" an alarmed Gertrude exclaimed.

"To Berlin, I have something I need to attend to," he replied briskly, not bothering to look at her.

Gertrude furrowed her brow and gazed at her brother. She mentally reviewed his schedule and did not remember anything on his calendar regarding any trips in the near future. She noted the red tint of his face and the sweat on his brow. Something had upset him and she suspected this unscheduled excursion was the reason. She felt a wave of concern for him because he appeared very flustered, not his usual calm demeanor.

"What is so important that you have to rush about in such an agitated state?"

"Never mind, it doesn't concern you." He paused and seemed to steel himself before he looked back up at her. His features then soften, as did the tone of his voice. "Gerti, where I am going…well it is one of those places a well-bred lady should not have to think about."

"Well you cannot be off to some cathouse or you would not be so hesitant to tell me. So just come out with it Albert, where are you going?"

"I told you, Berlin."

"You have told me nothing."

General Burkhalter snapped the clasp closed on his briefcase and walked around his desk to stand in front of his diminutive sister. "Don't push me on this."

"Fine," Gertrude said, folding her arms across her chest. "I will pack and come with you."

"NO!" Burkhalter yelled. Gertrude watched as he battled with himself before replying. In an indulgent but no less determined tone he continued, "I told you, this is not for you. This is the last place I want you ever to be."

"Then tell me," she said as she refused to back down.

"You are the most…alright then. I am going to Prinz-Albrecht-Straße number eight, satisfied?"

Gertrude sucked in her breath. The address was notorious to every German; the mere mention of it brought fear and dread. She struggled to get her emotions under control before continuing. Even after all her effort she made at calming herself, there still was a pronounced quiver to her voice.

"What business do you have at Gestapo Headquarters?"

Burkhalter tucked the briefcase under his arm and clasped his hands behind his back, as he glowered at his sister. Unfazed, Gertrude met his stare with one of her own. Finally, with an exasperated sigh he replied, "I have been summoned to an emergency meeting with Gruppenführer Müller to discuss the numerous acts of sabotage that have been happening in the area. Acts which I am sure you don't know anything about."

"I know nothing," she said with a slight curve to her lips.

"I see I need to curtail your visits to the Stalags," he grumbled, "one Stalag in particular."

"Oh quit being a fussbudget Albert," she chided humorously. "I am going and that is that. "

She turned and began to leave the room, pausing only long to look over her shoulder and say, "I will be ready to leave in two hours. I expect you to be here when I get back." She then quickly exited the room, shutting the door behind her. Once in the outer office she put her hand to her chest in an effort to still her rapidly hammering heart. She was going into the lion's den. It was a prospect she did not relish but any information she could get and forward to the Allies would help this war end much sooner. Maybe through her actions, she could save a wife somewhere the heartache she had to live with.

She took a deep breath and fortified her resolve. She reminded herself she was doing this as much for Albert as for the war effort. This conflict could not last forever and there would be a day a reckoning. People like Albert would have to account for their actions. She wanted to be able to bank as much good will with the Allies as possible and use it to help Albert when that day came.

Gertrude looked up at the building as the driver pulled up to the curb. From the outside, Gestapo Headquarters looked benign with its well-manicured lawns and neatly trimmed hedges. It cloaked itself with an air of respectability but that was a lie, a mask to fool the populace into forgetting what went on inside. She looked at its water stained stone façade. It looked as if the building was crying from the pain and misery it contained. People walked by unhurriedly as if they were passing nothing more sinister than the local grocer. She wondered at their self-delusion. Did they not understand it was only a matter of time before they found themselves unwilling visitors to this stone monument to Hell on Earth? On the other hand, maybe pretending was the only defense they had. Surely, they would go insane if they had to face the reality of the structure day in and day out.

"You do not have to go with me, Gerti," Albert said, startling her from her morbid thoughts. "The driver can take you to the hotel."

Gertrude shook her head and forced herself to smile. "No Albert, that won't be necessary." The last thing she wanted was to see more of Berlin. The bombed out buildings were enough but to look into the faces of the starving children was almost more than her mother's heart could bear.

She stepped out of the vehicle as the driver opened the door and held out his hand to steady her. "Thank you," she murmured as she stepped onto the sidewalk.

"My pleasure," he replied as he released her hand.

Albert came and stood by her side. She looked up at him and saw his face was a mosaic of worry, annoyance and concern. She took his arm and tried to look strong. Wordlessly he began his long strides up the flagstone path and into the building, forcing her to hurry to keep pace.

The interior was dim and it took her eyes a moment to adjust. When her vision cleared, she saw Gestapo men, both in and out of uniform, everywhere. On the far side of the room sat a balding man. Across the desk stood a thin, hunched and worn old man with his hat in his hands in supplication. His lined face conveyed a resigned acceptance of his fate. She could hear the bald man bark questions and the older man responded with bowed head, in the softest of whispers. This seemed to irate the bald man. He abruptly stood up, rounded the desk, grabbed the old man by his coat lapels and began to scream directly into his face. Unwilling to ponder the man's fate any longer, she turned away.

A young Leutnant approached them and introduced himself as Karl Jodl. He led them down a hallway towards the cellar while he explained Müller was busy "debriefing" a suspected communist. The stairwell was narrow, necessitating them to descend in single file. The cellar was even more horrid than the first floor. Prison cells lined both sides of the corridor. Some of the cells were deadly quite. From others came weeping, moans and cries for mercy. She clung to Albert as he put his arm protectively around her.

As they rounded the corner, a group of five women was being marched back to their cells. All of them bore shaved heads; their clothes were soaked in sweat, vomit and other body fluids. Their faces were devoid of any expression or emotion as if they were merely a chalk etching some child had half erased. As the last woman came into view, Gertrude stopped in her tracks, her action almost causing her brother to trip over her.

The woman in question was small, perhaps a half a decimeter shorter than Gertrude. Whereas Gertrude was a full figure woman, she was a slight little thing, too thin for the current fashion but pretty in her own way. From her brow and the stubble on her head, Gertrude thought her hair was most likely in the auburn color range. Her grey eyes were lifeless; her face carried the bruises of her latest beating.

What initially caught Gertrude's attention was not the woman but her clothing. They were not civilian attire but appeared to be a uniform. She racked her brain but could not come up with what auxiliary military branch she could belong. Besides, she seemed far too young. The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties, the age when a lot of pressure would be applied to encourage her to marry and have children. Most of the auxiliary forces were women like Gertrude, widowed and past the childbearing age.

"Leutnant Jodl, may I ask who that woman is in the strange uniform?"

The young man looked nervously at the General.

Albert sighed and said resignedly, "You might as well answer; my dear sister will give you no peace until you do."

"That is Lieutenant Cumba of the United States Army Air Force."

"An American pilot?" Gertrude asked amazed.

"No, a flight nurse I believe."

"What is she doing here?"

"Her medical evacuation plane was accidently shot down over France. The rest of the plane's crew has been sent to their respective POW camps."

"Why is she here if she is a prisoner of war and a noncombatant ?"

"The interrogation center in Frankfurt was not set up for women, so she was transferred here."

"Why here? By your own admission she is not an enemy of the state."

Jodl looked to the General, who just shrugged and replied, "Do not look at me Leutnant. I have to deal with her on a daily basis, now it is your turn."

"Well?" Gertrude prompted.

The Leutnant pulled nervously at his collar. "She is being prepped for work aiding the fatherland."

'What kind of work?"

"Well….our troops work hard and the need….comfort."

"Comfort? What kind of comfort?"

He cut his eyes to the General who remained silent, leaving the man to deal with Gertrude on his own.

"You know….physical comfort."

"What kind of physical comfort are we talking about?"

"Gnädige Frau…please," he pleaded as he began to perspire profusely.

"I will ask you again, what kind of physical comfort?" she said between gritted teeth.

"Sex."

"You want her to prostitute herself?" Gertrude said as her voice rose over an octave. "Albert?"

"There are comfort stations for the men to enjoy themselves without the worry of disease or an unwanted pregnancy. The women are all volunteers. Most are criminals who seek an easy way to lessen their sentence."

"And how many have been paroled because of their service?"

Both men remained silent.

"Just as I thought, none. And those who do not volunteer?"

"Oh those are usually Poles, Slavs or Jews. No one of consequence, I assure you," Jodl quickly interjected.

"Maybe not to you but I am sure their families and loved ones think differently."

"Gertrude," Albert's quiet tone warned her she had now stepped onto dangerous ground and she immediately began to back track.

"What about the young American?"

"She is a special project of Major Hochstetter. If he is successful, his techniques will be used to recruit others for service to the Fatherland."

"Albert, you are responsible for all the POW camps in Germany. She falls under your jurisdiction. Do something."

"I do not like this anymore than you but to take her from Hochstetter would cause more trouble that it is worth," Burkhalter replied.

"If Lotte fell into American hands, would you want the same fate for her?"

"No, of course not." After a moment of consideration, he warned Gertrude, "Freeing her will cost me greatly but it will cost you more."

"I am willing to pay the price."

"Are you? Well we'll see, won't we?" Turning to Jodl, Burkhalter said in a tired voice, "Take me to General Müller."

It was the next day before Cumba was loaded onto the back of a truck and taken from Gestapo Headquarters.

"Why is she chained and wearing a hood?" Gertrude asked her brother who was standing next her.

"Just be content she is now under Luftwaffe control."

"Where is she going?"

"Stalag XIII until she can be repatriated."

"Good, Klink will make sure she is well cared for."

"I hope she is worth the price, Gerti"

"I think she is," replied Gertrude.

**Next: Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!**

_a/n:_

_Heinrich Müller was Chief of the Gestapo 1939–1945 _


	19. Surprise! x 3

**Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!**

Gertrude entered into the darkened room and shut the door behind her. Throwing the latch, she pulled off her gloves and laid them with her purse on the side table. She thought about the dinner party she had just come from, which Klink had hosted for her brother. Gertrude had looked forward to meeting and speaking with the young nurse who recently had found a place in his care. Unfortunately, there had been an incident, which resulted in the Lieutenant sustaining a minor injury necessitating her having to go to the infirmary. Gertrude frowned at the thought. The young woman seemed so timid, warily watching everyone's movements, prepared to flee at any moment if the circumstances warranted. It would have been nice if she had gotten to know the Lieutenant better. Gertrude was lonely for intelligent female company.

Carefully, she bent down in the dark and switched on the little next to the door. Standing up and turning, she immediately noticed a bearded man dressed in peasant clothing sitting in Otto's leather club chair smoking a pipe. Startled, she opened her mouth to scream but the twinkle in his blue eyes and the curve of his lips announced the identity of her visitor.

"Odie, you scared the life out of me," Gertrude admonished as she hung her jacket on the hall tree. She crossed the room and settled her tired bones down on the sofa with a soft sigh. Odie watched in silence as she kicked her shoes off, leaned her head back against the back of the sofa and closed her eyes.

"How was the party?" he said as he slowly exhaled a cloud of blue-grey smoke.

"Let us just say that it ended rather abruptly."

"And how was Klink? No worse for wear, I hope."

"Klink is as Klink always is," she said with a weary and bitter edge to her voice.

"No adverse side effects from the kidnapping then?"

Gertrude opened her eyes, lifted her head and looked at Odie. "No, I doubt he spent much time thinking about it. I think the only thing he thinks about is the next bubble headed girl whose only interest in him is how much he can spend on her. Once the money is gone, so is she."

"You are not usually so acrimonious, what is wrong?"

"Nothing...and everything. I do not know. Lately I think I spend too much time thinking of Otto but I cannot will myself to stop. It is counterproductive and dwelling on his death does not change anything. I know this and yet I cannot stop myself." She turned from Odie and looked up at the brass anniversary clock sitting on the mantel. "Otto gave me that clock when we got married. It kept terrible time and he was always fiddling with it. He threatened to throw it out one day and I had to snatch it from the mantle to keep it safe. I can see him standing there scowling at me just as sure as I can see you."

"M'lady…"

She turned back to look at her friend. "He was a good man. How come I did not know just what a good man he was until it was too late?"

"He didn't want you to know. He loved you too much to risk involving you."

"He should have told me," Gertrude insisted.

"He couldn't, you know that."

"I could have helped him."

"And who would have taken care of Lotte if the worst happened. And it did happen, didn't it?" Odie gently reasoned. "The General was right to keep you in the dark, just as you have kept Lotte and Burkhalter in the dark."

"I know your right, "Gertrude said as she stood up and walked to where she had set her purse. She spent a moment digging around in it before coming up with her handkerchief. She softly dabbed her eyes as she returned to her seat. "But he should have told me anyway."

"What would he have said?" Odie said as he laid the pipe down on the ashtray on the side table.

"He could have told me British intelligence had approached him when we were living in America. He could have let me know that he sent money to Gregor to flee Paris and get safely to America through Spain and Portugal. Would it have been too much for him to tell me how he risked everything to help Jewish families get money and papers in order for them to flee to Belgium before the invasion?" Gertrude said as her anger increased. "I am so mad at him. He should have told me he was Nimrod, he should have let me help. Instead he kept quiet while Hauptmann Hochstetter was steadily gathering the evidence to denounce him."

Gertrude put the crumpled handkerchief to her face as she tried to stem the growing indignation inside her. Odie watched unable to help as her body silently shook with grief and rage. "They could have at least shot him as was his due as a military officer. Then he could have died with some honor. But no, that micro phallic son of a diseased harlot thought that was not good enough. They took him to a slaughterhouse and hung him with piano wire from a meat hook. All the while, laughing and making jokes as my Otto danced. The fact the High Command turned around and gave that maniac a promotion for all of it is more than I can bear. I am tired of pretending not to know what that monster did."

"M'lady…" Odie began.

"You should have helped him," Gertrude said accusingly. "He was your friend."

Odie stood up and walked over to where she sat. Sitting next to her, he pulled her close. He gently put his arm around her shoulders, he allowed her to rest her head on his chest. He held her hand as he gently stroked her hair with his other hand.

"He was one of my closest friends. You know I would have gladly sacrificed myself to save him but he did not want to jeopardize the entire underground movement. He withstood days of unending torture without giving away any important information. Because of what he suffered, the Nazis still do not know who Nimrod was. Nor do they know he is no longer a man but the man's wife."

"I know it is shameful and unreasonable to be so angry with him but I am. I miss him."

He smiled into her hair. "On the plus side, I hear Colonel Hogan got your note. What I wouldn't give to have been a fly on the wall for that discovery," Odie replied.

A half sob and half chuckle made its way out of Gertrude. With her face still buried in her friend's chest she responded, "That's what he gets for trying to kidnap by brother. And poor Klink. He does not have the best of nerves on a good day." She lifted her head and looked at Odie. "What about the Wagner brothers?"

"They are now in southern France, working with the Marquis. Hopefully they can keep out of trouble."

"What time do you meet with Papa Bear tonight?" Gertrude said, thankful for the change in topic.

Odie looked down at his watch, "In about two hours. I am to meet him on Seeshofer Straβe near the old wooden bridge at 0200 hours to pick up his intelligence on the troop movements headed towards the French border."

"If we can get that information to our operatives, we might be able to harass them enough to slow down any mobilization and give the Allies more time to secure their hold in France."

"I will meet with you on the 14th at 1600 hours, at the Deuteches Haus to discuss the petrol depot on the outskirts of Schweinfurt. I will be at the back table wearing a sprig of heather in my lapel," Odie said as he released her and stood up. He picked up his cap and pipe off the table and bent down to kiss her cheek.

For a moment, she clung to his hand. "Be careful Odie, I cannot lose you too."

"I am always careful," he said.

He quickly exited through the back door leaving the house eerily quiet. The house seemed to be holding its breath, waiting. Almost as if, it sensed something evil and foreboding, lurking around the bend in the road. She shook her head to free herself of such fanciful thoughts.

Gertrude put her shoes back on and began to prepare for bed. After locking the back door, she went to the front of the house to turn off the lights. Just as she placed her hand on the small lamp by the door, she saw a set of car lights shine through her window. She immediately thought of Albert but when the second and the third set of lights made an appearance, she knew it was not her brother.

Though she was expecting it, the sharp rap on the front door startled her. "Gestapo, open the door," demanded the all too familiar voice.

Gathering all of her courage, she opened the door. "Major, it is rather late for you to be out making house calls."

"I would not be so flippant if I were you Frau Linkmeyer," Hochstetter said as his pushed his way into the small cottage, knocking her back against the oak hall tree. Two subordinates hurried in after him carrying MP40s.

"Search every inch. Leave no stone unturned. I do not want to see two pieces of wood nailed together when you are finished." His men immediately began tearing the room apart with an almost gleeful air. Outside she could hear pounding and breaking glass. Turning to Gertrude Hochstetter sniggered, "Did you really think I wouldn't mind you stealing my pet project from me?"

Gertrude remained silent, too afraid to make the smallest sound of protest, yet determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear that was threating to overtake her. Hooking his gloved thumbs into his belt, he drew closer to her, until she could feel his breath upon her face. Like a baby bird caught in the hypnotic stare of the devouring snake, she could not look away.

"You are like your husband. Both of you traitors to the Fatherland," he said in a tone barely above a whisper. "I have been watching you, gathering evidence." He smiled a savage smile. His hand came to her face and with the barest of touches; his index finger traced the curve of her face. Leaning closer to her, he hissed in her ear, "I wanted to see you dance on the end of a rope but I guess I won't get that particular pleasure. But make no mistake, you will beg, plead and in the end, you will die."

He stepped away from her without breaking eye contact, "And as for your friend who was here earlier. We know about his meeting with Papa Bear. I have troops on their way to ambush them. Soon I will have your contact and Papa Bear. The three of you will keep me entertained for a long time as I am a man without pity."

At that moment, one of Hoschstetter's men swept his arm across the mantle, sending its objects crashing to the floor. As the glass dome to the anniversary clock shattered, so did all of Gertrude's hope.

**Next: The Trial**

_A/n:_

_The party is from the Southern Skies story. It is not important this story to know the exact events that occurred at the party. However, if you're feeling froggy, you can take a peek at it._

_The kidnapping, note and Wagner brothers are from "The Missing Klink"._

_Odie's assignment and ultimate fate, is from "That's No Lady. That's My Spy"._

_MP40 was a machine pistol or "sub machine gun", which replaced the MP38. It carried 9mm x 19mm rimless Parabellum cartridges and had 32 rounds per magazine. Most ground forces carried at least seven loaded magazines. The cyclic rate of fire was 500 rounds per minute but tended to jam if fired more than 8-10 round bursts._


	20. The Trial

**The Trial**

The battered Opel Blitz (1) rumbled through the streets of Berlin. Its creaking and wheezing reminded Gertrude of the death rattle of an old man. The tarp covering the back, ripped and smelling of mold, fluttered in the wind. Its exhaust belched a foul black smoke that stank of diesel causing her nausea. Looking out the open back flap, she found it difficult to recognize the city that had been the pride of the German people. Buildings were reduced to rubble and scattered like a jigsaw puzzle whose missing pieces had caused it to be tossed carelessly into the trash.

She watched though a haze of smoke and dust as the Berliners walked along the broken sidewalks. Their faces showed no joy or pain, just the apathic dullness the brink of defeat brings to a proud nation. They appeared as grey and lifeless as their surroundings. Emaciated children dressed in rags, played among the devastation as if it were the most natural of settings. As they passed a balcony, she saw a woman hanging from it. The placard hanging around her neck read, "I stole from my fellow Germans."

Gertrude turned to the solider sitting across from her. Dirty and in a uniform two sizes too large, the boy could not have been more than thirteen or fourteen. She saw that he had seen the woman also. As if reading her mind, he shrugged a shoulder and replied, "She was found digging through the rubble for things she could sell on the black market in order to get food for her children."

"That is terrible."

"She got what she deserved. We are all hungry. Even though everyone in the apartment building had been killed in an air raid, it did not justify her stealing." The boy's tone was not impassioned or angry, neither was it compassionate or pitying. It was flat without emotion as if he were reading some technical manual. The war seemed to have burned everything out of him.

Gertrude turned, unable to look at him anymore. How low had Herr Hitler brought her people. She wondered after the war, if there be anything left.

They came to an abrupt halt as the chains binding her to the wooden siding bit into her flesh, maintaining her position on the seat. She heard the slamming of the driver's door and the click of his jackboots on the pavement as he walked to the rear of the vehicle. Her young guard got to his feet and pointed his rifle at her. Reality narrowed until its focus was only on the end of the barrel, three inches from her face. She heard the rustle of the tarp and the rocking of the truck bed as the driver climbed into the back. The tinkling of keys and his jerking of her arms to unlock her bonds told her they had arrived at their destination. Pulling her to her feet, the driver helped to the pavement and along with the corpse-like youth, marched her to the red brick building known as Plötzensee prison. (2)

Her cell was an empty cinder block room with straw on the concrete floor to sleep on and a bucket to relieve herself in. Gertrude had held herself together reasonably well but when that heavy metal door clanged shut and she heard the key turning in the lock, she felt her composure slip away. She slid down the wall to sit in the far corner. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs and laid her forehead on her knees.

Gertrude worried about her brother. She had not been able to get a message to him. Under the Nazi's rule, there was guilt by association. Albert could fall under suspicion. She had done this crazy thing not only for Otto, but for Albert as well. The Allies had promised her he would not face any war tribunals. Everything she had sacrificed could well be for nothing. Self-doubt and second-guessing her actions clouded her mind.

The door opened and a familiar face walked into the room. His beady rat eyes gleamed with glee and satisfaction. She did not bother to get up off the floor. Hochstetter appeared satisfied with her where she was.

"Frau Linkmeyer, I hope you like our accommodations."

Gertrude thought of a biting response but found she could not get it past the large lump in her throat. Instead, she sat in silence and stared up at him.

"Your accomplice, Oskar Danzig, was killed trying to flee arrest. (3) Your brother was suddenly reassigned to the Easter Front. It took us all by great surprise. And where is the famous Papa Bear? Are you not worth his attention? No", he said shaking his head sadly. "No attempts to free you. No one has come forward who will speak in your defense. You are truly alone. Abandoned by those you sought to protect. What loyalty have they shown you that you should remain silent? Save yourself. Give me the names of your contacts."

Unwilling to trust her voice, Gertrude kept quiet.

"Tell me!" Hochstetter yelled, causing her to flinch in response.

"We have ways to make you talk," Gertrude whispered, bowing her head and looking at her feet. She felt a sharp blow to the side of her face causing her see flashes of lights before her eyes. When her head cleared, she could see it was not Hochstetter who hit her but the guard who had entered the cell with him.

"I am tired of asking nicely. Now tell me what I want to know."

Gertrude's reluctance to speak resulted in another blow that caught her on her left ear and sent her sprawling to the floor. She could feel the warm blood trickle down her neck. Before she could regain her bearings, the blows from the butt of the guard's rifle began to rain down on her like the wrath of God. Whimpering, she tried to curl herself into a ball. In what seemed like hours but in reality was a few minutes, pain and shock caused her to slip into unconsciousness.

She awoke sometime later, not sure how much time had passed. Stiff and sore from the beating, she laid still on the cold floor. She thought about her Drei and if he was hungry and scared. She wondered if anyone was caring for him. Her heart seemed to skip a beat when she thought of how far out she lived from town. Who would notice until it was too late for the little dog? She tried to tell herself it was just a dog, an animal, not a person but her screamed Drei was just as much a person as she was. If only she had the foresight to arrange shelter, just in case, this occurred. Her brain scoffed at her heart. What was she to do, go to a neighbor and say, "Oh by the way, the Gestapo might come and arrest me for spying. Could you be a dear and take care of my dog?"

She began to laugh at the image of her neighbor's faces if she had said that to them. The pain in her ribs quickly ended the mirth. So, she lay there, alone and frightened, sick with worry for Odie. "He was a good man. He should not meet his end, shot down like a….." Gertrude tried to think of something else. Some way to escape but she knew it was hopeless. People did not escape from the Gestapo. They would not allow it.

The door opened and two guards stepped inside. She braced herself for another beating. Wordlessly, they jerked off the floor and dragged out of the cell. She found her footing and was able, with some assistance from her jailers, to walk on her own.

Two large doors opened and she found herself in a courtroom. Looking up at the bench sat Judge Freisler (4). She had lied to herself; she had harbored some hope. Now, truly, all hope ceased to exist. The best she could hope for was a speedy and quick end. There was no lawyers, no defense, no witnesses called. She looked at the camera filming the proceedings. Herr Hitler did love his late night movies. She heard that he liked to watch the films of the executions too. She shivered a little at the thought of that monster.

The charges read aloud and the sentence pronounced. It was a quick, easy, production line justice. Somehow, she evaded immediate execution. She reasoned it was due to the shortage of workers. Whatever the reason, her sentenced was to die at some unspecified time in the future. In the meantime, she was to serve her time at Ravensbrük (5), to work for the country she had so viciously betrayed. As Gertrude left the courtroom with her guards, another victim took her place. The entire process had taken less than fifteen minutes.

Taken from the prison to the train station, she was herded onto a cattle car, along with a hundred other people. There was no room to sit or lay down as the crush of bodies pinned her into one place. Some were crying, some praying, some eerily quiet. The heat within the car was oppressive. With the smell of so many bodies in such a confined space, it seemed the air seemed to have been sucked from the car. Gertrude struggled to breath but between her aching ribs and the oppressive atmosphere it was nearly impossible.

Due to the poor conditions of the tracks, what should have taken three hours took three days. No food or water given, no place to sit or lay down, the doors remained closed so there was no fresh air. People had to relieve themselves where they stood. She thought she now knew what hell would be like. Again Gertrude was wrong. She knew that when the doors opened and she viewed her new home for the first time.

_A/n: _

_Opel Blitz was the name given to various German light and middleweight trucks built by Opel._

_ Plötzensee about 150 prisoners who awaited trial in the Volkgerichtstaf or People's Court. Often there was no evidence presented or any defense given. The sentence was always the same. Death came two ways, swiftly by execution or a slow brutal one in a concentration camp. _

_As we all know, Danzig was injured fleeing the Gestapo in "That's No Lady, That's My Spy" but survived._

_Roland Freisler was a real person and one of the Judges of the People's Court. According to historians, he was a brutal man. He died on 3 February 1945, after the Americans bombed various places in Berlin, including the People's Court. He was disliked to the point that no one in Germany mourned his death._

_Ravensbrük was a concentration camp for women, located 90 km north of Berlin. Gertrude would wear an upright red triangle, which was for spies, enemy POWs and deserters. The yellow letters NN would signify she was a victim of nacht und nebel, "night and fog". When inquiries were made by the family, they were told of the only there had been an arrest. Nothing else, not even the charges. Their fate left to the imagination. This was to instill the maximum amount of fear into the population._


End file.
